Grey Path
by SchwarzerWolf
Summary: A KOTOR alternate timeline in which Revan is betrayed by Malak however never lost consciousness and thus never had his mind wiped by the Jedi Enclave. This follows the developing relationships between Darth Revan, Bastila and the companions who choose to follow him. (Rated M for violence, future intimacy, post-KOTOR & KOTOR II included at the end, MRevanxBastila)
1. Prologue

**_AN: I own nothing, everything belongs to Disney, Lucasfilm, LucasArts and other respective holders. This story follows a some-what canon path however some segments are non-canon. _**

**_IMPORTANT: _**

**_1\. Just to clarify, this story does NOT follow Revan's 'fall' to the Dark Side as a result of Vitiate's 'mind control'. To me, that whole segment within SWTOR is bullshit. Revan's 'fall' to the Dark Side is due to the result of several things: Kreia's teachings, forbidden knowledge and the acknowledgement of Vitiate's unknown Sith Empire - hence rendering Revan to become the Dark Lord out of necessity and seek out the Star Forge in hopes of uniting the galaxy against this unforeseen threat._**

**_2\. In contrast to KOTOR, the Star Forge has yet to be discovered. The Star Maps are in possession of Revan and Malak however he did not have the time to piece them together before the Republic baited him for the Jedi to strike._**

**_3\. In this story, Revan's character has been attempted to be as ambiguous as possible (in respect to readers leaving the alignment and personality of Revan for themselves). However for the sake of character development, I have decided to place a Lawful Neutral AND Chaotic Neutral aspect to Revan's character._**

**_Philosophies have been taken mainly from KOTOR and KOTOR II. I hope you guys enjoy this short prologue._**

* * *

**_Revan's Flagship, somewhere in the Outer Rim _**

The hooded figure stood at the helm of the Interdictor-class battle cruiser watching as several Sith battle ships came into his view. The small contingent of the Republic fleet had baited his forces towards the inner crevices of the Outer Rim. Everything about this situation screamed that he was being led into a trap, yet there was always the possibility of reeling the opportunity of capturing high valued Republic navy officers and learning more about the Republic's military situation.

The doors to the helm slid open behind him, a Sith officer approaches him carefully causing the hooded figure to turn over his shoulder and silently groan in irritation.

"Speak."

"L-Lord Revan. Sensors indicate a breach within the main hangar."

Revan turned to face the officer, his cape swirling swiftly behind him and the visor of the distinctive Mandalorian mask reflecting the officer's face, gleaming once it came into view.

"A Republic boarding party?"

"Yes my Lord." The officer replied hesitant. "It's confirmed that…they are Jedi."

"Hrmph, Jedi." Revan folds his arms and shakes his head. "So the trap is sprung. Admiral, focus fire on the Republic vessels, order Malak's vessels to do the same."

"Yes my Lord Revan. But what of the Jedi? Shall I deploy the defence squadrons?"

Revan paused, raising his head slightly before feeling a sudden surge of energy. He sensed a trembling presence, an aura of power that he had never felt before. It belonged to someone on this vessel – one of the Jedi that boarded his flagship. Gradually the presence grew stronger and closer, the strike team was gradually making their way towards the command bridge. This presence was something else. An atmosphere of emotion, conflict and power that nearly rivalled his own.

"…My Lord?"

"You will be sending those squadrons to their deaths Admiral. See to it that the war droids are deployed. They will not stop the Jedi, yet it may hinder their advance towards us."

"As you say My Lord. Yet you are certain that the Jedi will not attempt to eliminate our gun crews first?"

"Admiral, there's only one reason the Republic and the Jedi Council are losing this war. The Jedi will not waste their precious time and resources to plot this trap to merely disable the guns of my cruiser." A smirk emerged behind his mask as he continued, "They seek my death, or my incapacitation. And I sense they wish to do it quickly. If I was the council, I would do the same."

The Sith officer nods and bows before quickly turning and begins to carry out his given orders. Meanwhile Revan turns back to face the conflict infront of him. The guns on his cruiser opened fire towards the small Republic fleet, within the minute – Malak's warships did the same. Before Revan could focus his mind back to the Jedi boarding party – his spine felt a shiver. The power he had felt earlier resonated dangerously close to him…as if it was…

The doors to the command bridge slid open, with the Sith Admiral being pushed through the doors and landing just short of Revan's feet, rendered unconscious. Revan turns to find the Sith officer lying dormant before him. Through his visor, he sees four young Jedi with one Republic soldier before him. At the front of these brave crusaders stood a vibrant woman with distinct Padawan robes, hazel hair and steel gray eyes. Sith officers and pilots below the walkway drew their arms from their holsters yet they were quickly dispatched or incapacitated by the trained Jedi.

"Revan." The woman spoke with a resonated tone, yet seethed with anger behind her throat, "You will answer for the atrocities you have committed against the galaxy. You will submit before the Republic and you will be brought before the Jedi Council for your betrayal."

Revan said nothing; instead he unfolds his arms and waits for the Republic to come to him.

One of the Jedi grips the hilt of his lightsaber, his ignited green blade glowing and eager for action, "We have him cornered! Take him now!" The Jedi yelled as he lunged forward, the other two following suit with sabers in hand.

"No! Wait!" The woman warned, yet the Jedi paid her no heed – a choice that they would take to their graves. Revan force-pulls his lightsaber from within his black robes and ignites the red blade, quickly slicing across the upfront Jedi, killing him within the blink of an eye. His body fell with the other two Jedi quickly rushing past their fallen comrade and both simultaneously leapt towards the Dark Lord, their weapons eager to _kill _him.

_"__Unbalanced. Undisciplined." _Revan thinks to himself as he raised one hand and forced one of the Jedi to collide with the other. There they lay on the ground before one of them gets up before the other and attacks him.

"Fool." Revan says as he lifts his lightsaber and duels with the novice Jedi. Several lightsaber clashes take place before Revan swiftly lunged his saber through the Jedi's stomach, adding another slain Republic slave to decorate the grounds of his command bridge. The Republic soldier fires his blaster towards Revan, only having him deflect the blaster bolts towards the other Jedi that tried to stand on his feet, ironically killing him.

"Enough." The Dark Lord commanded, as he used his free hand to grip the Republic soldier from afar before clenching his fist and choking the life out of him before flinging his corpse to the side. Darth Revan takes a deep breath before composing himself to face the woman, which he held even a moderate level of interest towards.

"You…are different from the rest of these Jedi. You possess an ability few have, and one of which many would kill to have for themselves."

The woman stood shocked with wide eyes, "You know of my ability?"

Revan nods, "I can sense it. 'Battle meditation'. Such ability could turn the tide of the war towards the Republic's favour – and yet the Jedi council finds it appropriate to send you on a suicide mission to claim me."

The Jedi ignites her saber and takes a stance with her weapon, "I volunteered for this task, and I intend to accomplish it."

Revan assumes his stance and goads the Jedi to strike first, "Then claim your prize Jedi."

**_The Leviathan_**

Darth Malak watches at the head of his cruiser as his warships decimated what was left of the Republic fleet, sacrificed for the sake of buying time for the Jedi strike team to capture Darth Revan. The Sith Lord noticed the small carrier, which escorted the strike team towards Revan's flagship and realised an ample opportunity.

"Admiral."

An aged Sith officer approached the Sith Lord and bowed, "Yes my Lord?"

"Turn all guns towards Revan's flagship and fire immediately."

"But, Lord Revan is still aboard."

"I do not care – fire the guns and eradicate the Republic scum that boarded Revan's ship." Malak's prosthetic mouthpiece oozed impatience, his orders demanded that they must be obeyed.

"This is outrageous Lord Malak, we cannot simply destroy Lord Revan's cruiser without confirming that he is aliv-" The officer stopped and croaked as his feet slowly ascended from the ground.

"Admiral, I do not have the time nor use for officers who base their decisions through hesitation and cowardice." Malak turned to reveal his hand raised slightly forward, his fingers slightly curled. "Such men I believe, must be displaced…permanently." With this, Malak squeezes his palm and a light _'crack'_ echoed throughout the command bridge. The Admiral's body collapsed with a thud, with Malak turning back to the overview window and places two hands behind his back.

"Karath." A slightly younger officer with graying hair approached the helm of the bridge.

"Yes? Lord Malak?"

"Align the guns towards Revan's ship. Focus on the helm – ensure that _no-one _survives, and that _nothing _could be salvaged from the wreckage."

Karath looks to where the former Sith Admiral laid – his body contorted and expression lifeless, the whites of his eyes signalling a gruesome end.

"As you say, my Lord." Karath says before departing Malak's presence and executing his newly received orders.

"You would do well to continue this level of obedience _Admiral _Karath." Malak concludes as he folds his arms and waits for his ship to align it within firing range of Revan's flagship.

"Soon. I will be christened as the new Dark Lord of the Sith. You were always weak Revan. Never one to fully embrace the full power of the Dark Side." Malak says to himself as his cruiser glides closer and closer towards the Interdictor-class warship.

* * *

Bastila panted wearily, her arms weighing her down, her feet almost failing to keep her standing and her lightsaber's weight tripled within her hand. Infront of her, Revan stood tall and proud, saber in one hand and slowly closed the distance between them. Not a word was said after the two had clashed weapons, to be honest – Bastila herself was surprised that she had survived this long with a duel against the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. She had heard tales of Revan's raw power and compelling mind for strategy, yet she could never fathom for herself in person how this once great Jedi Knight had such brilliant technique in both the art of combat and the art of war. Even her Battle Meditation would not match up to Revan's strategic genius, much less her lightsaber versatility against his honed precision and execution.

Revan did not say a word as he raised his weapon high, prepared to strike at the weakened Jedi once more. However a hesitation halted his attack. Bastila wearily lifts her lightsaber in an attempt to try and block whatever the Dark Lord would throw at her, yet she too noticed this sudden pause in action. Her eyes stared him down through his Mandalorian mask, seeing beneath it's cold, intimidating exterior – a faint vision of a man who felt something unexpected. Revan stood still, his arm hanging in the air with the crimson blade still pointing at the fatigued Jedi. Bastila stands her ground, confused at what emotion had this evil figure pinned to the ground, what is halting his advance? Suddenly, her eyes widen.

Revan was looking within her, sensing her and feeling her through the force. There was something within her which…triggered, _no,_ that was not the right word. The Dark Lord was _inspired _by her. Bastila narrows her eyes and in turn does the same to Revan. She felt anger, hatred, pride and passion within him – all capacities of a typical Sith, yet as she looked deeper, there was serenity, peace, humility and one which recently bloomed within him, one which was inspired by her: _hope_.

_"__Jedi traits." _Bastila would think to herself.

"Who…are you?" The muffled voice of Revan emerged after a short (yet felt like an eternity) silence. Just then, the entire ship began to shake. Revan's flagship was being bombarded by the Leviathan, along with other Sith warships under the command of Darth Malak. The eruption tipped both the Sith and the Jedi off-balance, causing both of them to land on the ground with a thud. Without warning, several turbo lasers hit the helm of Revan's flagship, an internal explosion caused by an overload within the command ship's terminals flashed just behind Revan – propelling him forward and sending him past the downed Bastila. Revan was dazed, his vision hazy – narrowed by the slit of his Mandalorian visor. Around him was a blur, only realising that his ship slowly crumbled around him.

"Malak." Revan murmured to himself, "Nothing quenches your ambition."

Slowly the Dark Lord begins to stand up to his feet, "The escape pods…" He murmured to himself once more. As he steps forward, a sudden pain shoots through his stomach.

"The impact was too much I suppose." Revan says as he pressed a hand over his abdomen and steps forward. Before taking another step, he looks back over his shoulder to find the Jedi girl knocked unconscious. The Dark Lord scoffed as he makes his way towards the bridge exit. One more time he looks over his shoulder, the woman radiating an aura, which triggered something within him, something he wanted to rid of since his turn to Dark Side. His flagship shook more violently, the cruiser was about to be torn in half. One part of him urged himself to simply leave her to die with the rest of the Republic slaves that boarded his ship, another begged him to save her.

There was no time – make a choice.

Revan looked forward, taking a deep breath – grunting through the pain which urched through his stomach and turned around. Gradually he kneels and picks the woman up and places her over his shoulder. His other hand clenched the area that screamed in pain over his stomach – applying a force technique, which numbed the area temporarily. He wasn't sure if they had enough time to even make it to the escape pods, but he had to try.

There were several escape pods left amongst the hangar, yet they were suitable for only one person per pod – the other pods which could store four individuals had already been evacuated or destroyed amongst the bombardment. Revan groans as he could not take this strange Jedi together with him – in hopes of learning more about her abilities and perhaps one day discover why she suddenly inspired such emotion within him in which he had not experienced in a long time. Gradually he settles her down within one of the escape pods, strapping her within one of the seats and ensuring everything was safe. Still unconscious, Bastila groans with a hint of pain within her tone of voice.

Revan realises that a thin streak of blood was running from within the locks of her hair, down her temple and across her cheek. A vital head-wound, possibly from the turbo assault provided by the Leviathan towards the command bridge. Revan felt obliged to care for this wound, he had taken her this far after all, though he didn't have to in the first place. He places quickly removes his gauntlet and places his hand over her head, his fingers nestling within her soft, hazel hair. He heals the cut which sat ontop of her head and stops the internal and external bleeding which occurred.

Time was not a luxury he could afford. Quickly, Revan sets both Bastila's and his personal escape pods to launch towards the closest charted planet in which they could both land safely and not completely isolated. There was a chance that the trajectory which Revan had set would end up bringing both their escape pods to land right next to each other once they reached the planet, another chance was that one of their pods would divert to a completely planet all together – never seeing each other again. Nonetheless, there was no more time to waste. Survival was the paramount priority. The escape pods closed shut, and within five seconds, they were propelled into deep space and sent into depths of unknown space, Revan's flagship exploding into shards in the distance.


	2. Chapter 1: Alone

**Dantooine, remote sector**

Bastila's eyes slowly rose from darkness. Her eyelids were heavy as pain suddenly urched every inch of her body. She groaned as she tried to lift a simple finger, pain shooting across her entire body. Slowly her eyes regain their vision, finding herself in the interior of a contained, metal, escape pod.

"What...happened?" Bastila murmured to herself. As she places a hand over her head, her head spun, as if it was split or injured in a way yet all traces of such an injury were not discovered. The Jedi tried to open the hatch of the pod yet it was latched shut. With all her strength she preps her feet against the hatch and starts to kick it. Pain screamed within her legs everytime she lashed them out against the door. After the second kick, the next one forced the hatch to swing open, leading Bastila down and resting on the ground.

Her knees were met with the soft texture of grass and dirt. Her fingers kneaded within the fine stems of the long, green blades. She looks up and observes her surroundings. The plains were familiar to her, all too familiar. As she realised where the escape pod had landed, her heart beats with the rhythm of relief.

"Dantooine…" Yet as her eyes observed more closely, she realised that this was an uninhabited sector of the planet, she had no way of knowing where she was or where the Jedi Enclave was established. For all she knew, she could be on the other side of the planet. Bastila rubs her head once more and stands up wearily. Instinctively, her right hand reached out for her hip only to discover that her lightsaber was missing. It was then her senses heightened; she ignored all the pain, which resonated within her legs as she recollected the events prior to her landing on Dantooine.

"Revan…" She murmured. Her head turned around to observe the empty plains; there was no sight of the masked and hooded figure. The battle which ensued aboard the helm of Revan's flagship transpired inside Bastila's mind. Everything was recollected until the words Revan spoke was silently heard. _'Who…are you?' _Everything after that was a blur, the last thing she remembered was the sudden eruption of the flagship, causing her to lose balance and collide against the hard, metallic ground of the bridge – her saber escaping the clutches of her fingers. Now was not the time to wonder about the fate of Darth Revan, the more lingering question was how she ended up in an escape pod and the most _important _question was what to do from here?

Slowly, Bastila reaches out to the Force, not that it was much help in her current situation – but follows her instinct and a current which flowed in the air. It was almost as if she was drawn to a certain direction she was meant to walk. Nonetheless, there was nothing else she could do. Bastila turned to the drawing direction which somehow called to her. Figuring there was no other suitable option to undergo (and realising the navigation terminal within the escape pod was completely eradicated), she stepped forward towards the empty plains of Dantooine.

* * *

**_The Leviathan_**

Admiral Karath approached the helm of the ship, the view of Darth Malak observing the wreckage of Revan's flagship came into his sight. As the Admiral approached the Sith Lord, Malak spoke to him – as if he was already aware of his presence.

"Speak, Admiral."

"My Lord, sensor droids have found zero life signs amongst Lord Rev-"

Darth Malak peered over his shoulder, snarling quietly in disapproval. Karath realised his mistake and corrected himself instantly, "…Revan's flagship."

The Sith Lord chuckled at the Admiral's adaptability and survival instincts, it amused him in a way. Slowly Malak turned to face his subordinates and proclaimed his orders.

"Admiral – prepare a broadcast to my fleet and our occupied worlds. A New Order must be announced."

"As you say, Lord Malak."

Malak waits with folded arms as the Leviathan's communications sector was preparing to broadcast a hologram of the Sith Lord to both his fleet and towards the planets, which were occupied by Revan's campaign. As the announcement droid completed it's scan of Malak – everything was prepared and set for motion. Darth Malak was ready to begin his declaration.

"Soldiers, officers, citizens of Revan's weak rule. Today, Darth Revan has perished." His tone bled with the feeling of satisfaction yet was guised with a sense of sadness and loss – all for the sakes of the citizens Malak now ruled.

"On this day, I have claimed the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith. All Sith armadas are to amass with the Leviathan immediately, all citizens of…_my _Sith Empire will swear complete obedience to my authority. Those who regard themselves as loyalists to the fallen Revan will be crushed swiftly and without remorse."

Every naval attendant, officer and trooper onboard the Leviathan turned towards Malak himself or a hologram displaying his speech with awe. On the planets conquered by Revan, their citizens watched in their respective plazas and holo-terminals, the intimidating stature of their new Dark Lord. Several soldiers, officers and civilians alike – simply crossed their arms and nodded in approval of their new leader, others cursed silently and protested to themselves, in the end forced to approve of this change instead of facing prosecution.

"Under my rule, the Republic will be annihilated – my will carried out from the Outer Rim territories to the Core Worlds. From there, a new era will be ushered with me at the helm. Once more I stress. Serve me, or perish along with Revan and the Republic."

The transmission was concluded. Malak folds his arms and awaits the off-world Sith armadas to rendezvous to his position, prepared to reignite a new campaign. Admiral Karath once more approached the Dark Lord, hands behind his back before bowing to Malak.

"Dark Lord. We have received responding transmissions from the rest of Revan's fleet. They have heeded your call and are en route to our position."

"Very good Karath. Then everything is on schedule." Malak responded with a brief chuckle.

"Then our campaign against the Republic shall finally be recognised and accomplished? My Lord?"

"Not yet Admiral. The Republic may exist within the galaxy for a little bit longer, for now – I have the fleet diverted towards a more…ancient reward."

"My Lord?"

"Have you ever heard of the Infinite Empire Karath?"

The Admiral shakes his head in response, "Never in my life. The Republic and the ancient Sith who were thought to be eradicated after the Great Hyperspace War are the greatest powers within the known galaxy – at least to my understanding."

"Hmph." Malak groaned, "Their existence was unknown to me as well. That was until I travelled with Revan. During and after the Mandalorian Wars, Revan and I have discovered a plethora of forgotten _and _forbidden knowledge. Much of this knowledge was considered heresy amongst the fools in the Jedi Council. But much of it revealed a great, unspeakable power."

Karath listened on, attempting to understand what his new master was informing him.

"_The Star Forge_. A space station of unprecedented capabilities. Under my command Admiral – I will need competent leaders to lead the future of the Sith fleet."

"A space station my Lord? Unoccupied? Forgive me, but I find such a weapon unlikely."

"I do not expect you to believe in such a thing, but I assure you Admiral – it is real. It is power. It is a device which forges Empires."

"Then I am eager to aid you in the discovery of such a device."

"The discovery of the Star Forge will not prove difficult…" Malak says as he begins to head towards the exit of the command bridge, all the while – signalling with his hand for Karath to follow him. As the two leave the bridge, they make their way towards the central terminal, where Malak enters several codes into the terminal and displays a vibrant galaxy map.

"Ever since our departure from the Jedi Order, Revan and I have worked extensively to discover the ancient relics of Rakatan technology which contained maps leading to the Star Forge."

Malak notices the confusion in Karath's expression when he mentioned the unfamiliar term, 'Rakatan'.

"Minor detail." Malak assured the Admiral. "Once Revan and I have amassed the maps – I have been looking for an ample opportunity to overthrow my former master and claim the Forge's power for my own. Now that time has come, and I believe that men like you, Karath, will assist me in spearheading my vision."

"I am honoured to be held in such high regard, my Lord." Karath says with a bow.

"Now…after all this time, the pieces of the map fall in place. The location of the Star Forge revealed after nearly countless millennia." Malak inputs several more codes into the terminal – dragging the vibrant blue map closer and fixed like puzzle pieces falling into place. Suddenly, Malak stopped – groaning with a tone of voice which trembled along his machine-like growl.

"What has happened?" Karath asked.

Malak looked at the Admiral – seething with anger, before tempering his rage into mild frustration. Gradually, his growls turn into soft laughs, before ascending to a higher volume.

"Heh, ha. _Ha, ha, ha_!"

"Lord Malak?"

"Oh…_Revan_." Malak murmured with disdain. "You were always clever."

Quickly, Darth Malak turns to the Sith Admiral, "No matter, I will recover what was stolen in time. But for now…Admiral, I require a special task that I feel fitting to bestow upon your discretion."

"Yes, of course Lord Malak. What is it that you wish me to do?"

If Darth Malak could grin behind that prosthetic mouthpiece – he would, "The capture of Bastila Shan. The Jedi's last and best hope of mounting any kind of resistance towards us."

* * *

On Dantooine's peaceful, green plains – the sun was steadily being swallowed by the ocean and disappearing into the horizon. The orange, dusk sky was the only way Bastila could see the path infront of her. Well, if a 'path' was referring to an empty plain where her legs were obscured up to her knees in thick grass.

She grew hungry and began to tire. Bastila had heard tales of Jedi Masters who were able to sustain themselves from sustenance for days, no food, no drink – only them and the Force. Such an ability would've been vital for the young Padawan as of now. Alas, she was no Jedi Master – and even after years of training and merging the Jedi Code into her everyday life, the Council has not even made her a Knight. Such thoughts constantly cycled through her mind, bringing about emotions in which she would try to supress, all according to the Jedi's teachings. 'Strong emotions, _always _lead to the Dark Side', she would be taught. A more recent example the Council would use will _always _be this: 'Look at the path of _Revan_.'

Bastila shook these thoughts away from her mind and instead concentrated on what was infront of her. It would soon be dark; she needed shelter, a fire and food to survive the unforgiving night. To her fear, she realised that without her lightsaber she is more vulnerable, and with her injuries it would prove difficult to continue her journey. What she was hoping for was she would come across a colony of settlers who fled their homeworlds during the Mandalorian Wars; perhaps they could provide the necessities she required. Alas, this did not come to pass as the further she went, the more her surroundings seemed familiar: endless grasslands.

Her feet ached, how long had she been walking in this same direction for? This strange guidance through the Force has led her to nothing but dirt, hills and grass. If Bastila had tried to recollect how long she had been walking – she'd assume she has been travelling for hours. The Force was a fickle thing; sometimes Bastila questioned whether being Force sensitive was a privilege, or indeed a burden one must accept. Her mind pondered this statement for some time as she continued to treck across the fields before it was clouded by fatigue.

_Tired_.

Bastila urged her body to push forward.

_Hungry_.

Bastila forced herself to keep awake.

_Hurting._

Bastila used every ounce of her power to keep herself standing straight, to ignore the pain and press on.

Through hindered eyesight, Bastila could see shadowy figures hidden from what was left of the sun's orange rays and obscured within the grass. This is her first sighting of what looked like sentient beings, though her sight was there – it was too obscured for the Jedi to make out whether they are settlers or rocks. Bastila sensed a great disturbance, as if something overwhelming was headed her way. Desperate and exhausted – Bastila chose to move closer to these three shadowy figures.

As she drew closer towards the shadows, she could see that they had noticed her presence and began to move towards her direction. In Bastila's heart, she felt both a presence of comfort and caution. Soon the three shadows emerged from the shadows brought about the hills and into the orange rays of the sun. The figures came clear as day into Bastila's view, her eyes looking deep into bestial, hungry and dark eyes.

"Kath hounds…" Bastila curses as she stopped advancing towards them. The quickest of the beasts hurled itself at the injured Jedi. Bastila quickly dashed to the side. The hound did not hesitate to redirect it's momentum, once more pouncing towards Bastila with jarred teeth and sharp claws. Though weak and hindered, Bastila was no stranger to unarmed combat. Bastila shifts her weight down and finds herself under the beast's belly. With two swift punches applied through Force pressure, she breaks the hound's rib cage and hinders the beast as it flew over the Jedi and riles in pain, unable to stand back up. The second Kath hound was smaller yet it's ferocity was on par with the first. The Kath hound directs it's momentum towards Bastila's legs, the Jedi pulls her leg back just enough so that her leg was not completely bitten off. As a consequence, the hound's teeth sinks into the woman's calf, gnashing and gnawing as it tries to tear the rich flesh off the Jedi's leg.

Bastila yelled in pain but composed herself enough to concentrate a fatal palm strike across the Kath hound's head, shattering its skull and freeing her leg from the hungry beast. Bastila looks down to the chomped area, several holes in the pattern of the Kath hound's jaw had been punctured through her Padawan robes, blood seeping out from these holes. Her calf was still intact – however the wounds ran deep, she could have sworn that one of the beast's teeth broke off within her leg and still sits inside her. The Jedi's adrenaline spikes up, the final Kath hound was immensely larger than the other two – horns sprouting from the side of it's head, shaded by thick, brown fur. Slowly, the hound creeps up towards the wounded Jedi – eager for the quick kill.

As the beast drew closer, Bastila couldn't help but wonder what presence she felt earlier, this level of disturbance couldn't possibly be afflicted by mere Kath hounds. That presence still lingered, and it was dangerously close. It was a familiar in a sense, faint even, yet it lingered with a strong connection to the Dark Side. This Kath hound may have been shrouded with Dark Side energy, yet Bastila didn't believe it. The Kath hound stalked closer – as did the strong Dark Side influence. As Bastila prepared herself to face the beast, the dark presence ascended to clear light. Her eyes widened, she had felt this before, and very recently. It belonged to something else, _someone _else.

The Kath hound lunged it's horns towards the Jedi, catching the shaken Bastila off-guard. She loses her balance, trips on her weight like a foolish novice and lands on her back, crushing the grass behind her and meeting the warm texture of dirt. The beast takes the opportunity provided and pounces ontop of her, claws emerging from it's paws and tries to scratch away at the bleeding Jedi. Bastila holds it's paws back with her hands – her Force capability was just enough to hold out against the beast's brute strength. But hunger, fatigue and loss of blood gave way to Bastila slowly losing her strength.

The Kath hound snarls and bites the air with Bastila still holding out against its paws. Eventually, her eyes feel heavy, her arms feel numb, the steady flow of her warm blood seeps beneath her robes and runs down her thigh, exhaustion paves the pathway to her death.

_"This is it…" _Bastila thinks to herself as she attempts to hold onto what's left of her consciousness, _"Alone and isolated. Left to die in the barren lands of Dantooine."_

She could feel the Kath hound's warm breath and drool splat about on her face. She couldn't hold out much longer, it's snout gradually came closer and closer, to the point where it can practically take a chunk out of her throat.

In a flash, the weight of the Kath hound was pulled away from the Jedi. Through narrowed eyes, Bastila sees the animal pulled back and fly backwards. The ignition of a lightsaber was heard, and the flying Kath hound was impaled by a crimson blade. The beast whimpered as it slowly lost its life. The red blade retracted back into the saber and the beast fell onto the lush green grass, it's body nurturing the rich soil in the years to come.

Bastila coughed. Her eyes barely holding themselves open any longer. Her ears pick up faint footsteps growing closer and closer until they stop right next to her. She rolls her grey eyes to face the side in which her saviour stood. The figure's boots came into view, through heavy lids her eyes slowly moved up. Dark robes met her eyes, a lightsaber in the hands of armoured gauntlets, familiar dark red armour with a cape attached to accompany the figure's dark robes. Finally as her eyes meet the head of her saviour, her body was reflected in the visor of the figure's Mandalorian mask, almost obscured by the hood he had over his head.

"Revan…" Bastila exclaimed with all the strength she had left – conducting into a soft, broken voice. The Dark Lord did not say a word; instead he stared at her, the winds of Dantooine carrying his cape to the breeze. His words didn't matter as of now – she expected to be dispatched of quickly with a swing of the Sith's saber instead of being feasted on by stupid beasts. She accepted this fate as her eyes grew dim, Revan's image distorting into a black blur before Bastila finally succumbed to her exhaustion.


	3. Chapter 2: Mutual Understanding

_Darkness. Light. What was the difference?_

_Jedi. Sith. Two flawed orders bent to their respective codes to inflict their disadvantageous edicts towards the galaxy._

_Peace. Passion. Hate. Forgiveness. Death. The Force._

_Revan. Malak. Two powerful fates – two powerful destinies, only one will decide the fate of the universe._

_Bastila. Wake up._

Bastila groans softly. Her head felt a sudden rush of relief, the pain in her legs rescinded as her consciousness brings control over her senses. Her eyes slowly drag open, a vibrant campfire greeting her view. She was laying on her side, beneath a small cave-in in one of Dantooine's hills. She sits up from her sleeping position and places both her hands on the ground behind her back. Her eyes look to her calf, the bleeding had stopped and the works of someone cleaning the wound was evident. She turns her head around, looking down on one side where her vision meets a dirt wall shrouded in darkness. Once more she turns to the opposite direction, the opening of the cave illustrating the night sky. Next to the entrance of the cave stood a man, leaning on his shoulder with his arms folded – looking to the outskirts of Dantooine's plains.

Bastila shakes her head before recalling recent events. Her eyes widen and her fear spikes. Before Bastila could scramble up and stand to her feet, the man standing next to the entrance spoke.

"Finally awake? Good." The shadow turned, his cape flowing closely behind him. Bastila frantically sits up and stands to her feet, her arms raised and prepared to fight. Her eyes narrowed as the man came closer and closer to the campfire, the orange flames igniting the figure into view.

"Eager to fight, Jedi?" Revan says with his hands folded behind his back, "I expected the Order to train their Padawan's better."

Bastila scoffed at his statement, "I am no mere Padawan, Sith! To prepare for combat towards one as vile as you? I can make an exception to put aside my restraint."

Revan did not respond, instead he slowly circles around the campfire towards Bastila, causing her in turn to move around the fire and keeping her gaze concentrated on the Sith Lord.

"I'm aware of that fact. I can sense it. Such resentment. And I'm also aware that you are no _mere _Padawan. Upon our encounter aboard my flagship, I realised your capacity within the Force – moreover, your Battle Meditation. But when I rescued you from your encounter with the Kath hounds, I inspected you further. You are _Bastila Shan_. The Jedi who can utilise Battle Meditation more effectively than any other Force-sensitive before you. Stories float around the Outer-Rim quickly."

"I think I would've rather been consumed by the hounds than be your captive Revan."

The Revanchist stops in his tracks and tilts his head, "Are you in chains? Am I restricting your path to escape from my 'captivity'? By all means, leave – run. But we both know you won't."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because the infamous Darth Revan stands before you. If you run. You may never find me again."

This was true in a way. Bastila knows that she was no match and in no position to challenge Revan in combat, she could easily make a run for it, maybe – just maybe she would stumble across a means to travel to the Jedi Enclave and inform them of events. There, the Jedi could reform their efforts to capture Revan. Yet on the other hand, Revan could easily find the means to leave the planet – causing the Jedi to invest countless resources to hunt him when those resources could better serve the Republic's war effort against the still reigning Sith Empire. Bastila's raised hands begin to descend; yet her stance remained defensive.

"Rest assured Jedi. I have no intention of killing you." Revan says as he begins to approach the Padawan. Bastila remained vigilant as he approached her. He stops just infront of her, as if he was waiting for something. Shortly after, her stomach growls – yearning for food. Bastila swore that Revan snickered underneath that mask. The Sith turned and pointed towards the campfire, a thick piece of meat skewered over the camp dripped with succulent juices, causing the flames to sizzle as they dripped.

"Sit. Eat." Revan invited Bastila. She turned to the meat before looking back at Revan. She turned to the food, then back at Revan once more. Her stomach growled again, finally convincing her to sit just infront of the fire while Revan displaced the hanging skewer and passed it over to the hungry Padawan.

"A gift from one of the Kath hound's who attacked you." Revan says as he paced across the cave, "I trust their meat will provide you enough satisfact-" He turned to face Bastila and paused as she was greedily munching on the cooked steak. Her teeth dug into the tender flesh and ripped it from the core, gulping it down with fast efficiency. Revan couldn't help but grin.

Bastila nearly picked off the entire chunk of meat off the stick. Her eyes trace back to the Sith Lord – as if they were craving for more. Revan notices this and understands. Carefully the Sith Lord paces back to the entrance, through the shadows where the fire's touch could not lay, Bastila sees the distinct silhouette of Revan drag a dismembered Kath hound from the shadows, his other hand igniting his lightsaber and slicing an entire leg off the abdomen of the beast. His blade retracts back into the hilt and Revan hangs it over his belt as he took the sheered leg and snaps his fingers for Bastila to provide the skewer.

"It took me a while to skin the beast." He says as he cleaves a thick piece of meat off the leg and stabs it with the stick before positioning it over the racks and hangs it just over the fire. "It will take time to cook."

Revan sits to the side of the fire, Bastila was situated across him yet slightly to the left – where the fires would not obstruct each other from view. The Padawan shakes her head at how easily she had succumbed to basic instinct, leaving herself vulnerable and open to attack from Revan. If he had decided to dispatch of her, he would have done so quickly with a swing of his lightsaber while she was munching on meat like a fool. It was a good thing he had kept his word, and though she may seem resilient and stubborn, in heart she was relieved that the Sith Lord found her.

"Why did you spare me?" Bastila asked with a softer tone of voice, the fire in her throat tempered by sustenance.

Revan turns his head to face the woman. He takes a drastic pause before answering the woman's question, "…We must come to a compromise. As of now, I believe we can work fruitfully to find some sort of settlement on this planet."

"No Revan. Why did you _spare _me?"

He slowly turns his head to face Bastila, her eyes stared him down through his visor. Revan smiled.

"You figured it out?" Revan asks as he turns the stick and allows other parts of the meat to cook.

"Answer me." Bastila hastens with impatience.

"You're quick to allow your emotions guide your tone and actions Bastila. Yet you supress them just as well." Revan said calmly, continuing to twist the stick.

Bastila said nothing after that, only waiting for Revan to answer her question. He took his time with the Jedi, he remained silent for a time, focusing on the fire and stirring the meat, which lingered on the stick. A few moments passed and Revan finally spoke.

"I saved you onboard my flagship out of necessity, Bastila. Do not twist your facts to my saving you out of mercy. Your wounds were healed by me – out of necessity. A power such as yours cannot fall, the Jedi waste your potential – and the Sith will seek to eradicate you or enslave you, that will not happen because of necessity. I saved you from those Kath hounds _out of necessity_." Revan's tone escalated after he exclaimed those final words. It was as if Revan had made an effort to bring his point out and understood. Bastila would have believed Revan had his tone not give him away. She still did not know why he had spared her onboard his flagship, or why he didn't leave her to be ripped apart by starved Kath hounds – and maybe he wasn't exaggerating about the whole notion of necessity, but she knew there was another reason she was still alive, she knew that _the _Darth Revan was lying to her.

The Dark Lord skips the skewer from the rack and offered it to the hungry Jedi. Bastila takes the stick, nodding to him – an aside method of saying 'Thank you' before eating, with more composure this time. In her mind, Bastila pondered what to do next at this point in time. With her lightsaber gone, she could not hope to match Revan with the Force – he had demonstrated such power before, hence fighting him was not an option. In her heart she also wished to learn more about him. Bastila's entire knowledge on Revan was birthed from rumours, stories of heroism during the Mandalorian Wars and ultimately the spouts of distaste from the Jedi Council. Bastila sensed something more in the Dark Lord, but she could never be too careful around him.

"You are wondering what we do at this point." Revan says as he continued to stare into the sparking fire. Bastila's eyes widen and turn to face him, placing the finished skewer aside.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

Revan turned, Bastila's body reflecting in the visor of his mask. "I didn't."

He stands and folds his hands behind his back. "I can sense your emotions however, the fluctuations of fear, question…" He turned to look over his shoulder, eying Bastila through his mask, "…Hope."

He concluded as he slowly walked towards the entrance of the cave and stopped just short of it, staying obscured from the moonlight and hidden within the shadows where the fire's light did not touch.

"There are several things you _could _do. The first being the fundamental thing you _can _do at this point in time. Assisting me to find some sort of settlement on this planet so that we may collect our bearings."

Bastila arched an eyebrow, Dantooine's refugee settlements are not known to be amongst this sector or any sector at all. In fact, the planet had not seen a fully established settlement in a long time. In fact the only thing that even resembled a settlement that was known on Dantooine was…

"Even the Jedi Enclave?" Bastila asked.

Revan turns, "Ah, now we move to the things you _could _do."

The Sith leans on the wall of the cave and folds his arms, "No doubt you have thought about turning me in to the Jedi Order, 'answer for all my crimes' and what not. Am I correct?"

Bastila did not answer.

"You need not respond, I have sensed your intentions anyway."

The Padawan grew pouty, even blushing slightly. Revan could read her easily like an open book. There was nothing she could hide from him no matter how hard she tried.

"You can go to the Jedi Order, alert them of my presence here on Dantooine. But that will not solve the threat at hand, will it?"

"You are the Dark Lord of the Sith. You are more of a threat than any before you."

Revan shakes his head, "You are mistaken Bastila. Divert your narrowed vision from what's infront of you – to the galaxy in the long term. My…former apprentice, Malak – is now the ultimate threat to the galaxy."

"He follows your teachings and your goals. Why would you regard him as a threat?"

"Again Bastila, you do not understand. Malak is not _me_. He is fuelled by hatred untempered, logic driven by revenge and pride. I aimed to open the eyes of the Jedi Order, to open the eyes of the Republic of their hypocrisies, their ineffective philosophies that would have doomed the galaxy. Malak aims to eradicate the Republic and the Jedi Order completely. Set the galaxy ablaze and from the ashes issue an Empire under his banner. Through this Empire – chaos, destruction and death. I did not fight for those craven goals."

Bastila sits, listening to him and drawing this information, converting her perspective to a different light. She may not agree with him in regards to his actions, the Jedi Code has been infused within her for far too long for her opinion to change on that fact, yet she realised the overall impact Revan had contributed to the Mandalorian Wars.

"I doubt the Enclave will make any significant contribution to battling Malak and his forces, and the Republic is slowly crumbling from both the pressure of the Sith armada and pompous bureaucrats corrupted by the greed in their hearts. In all essence Bastila, _I _am the true threat, yes, the true threat to Malak's influence within the galaxy."

Revan sighs as he became tired from constant talk, "Do what you will with the Enclave Bastila. Alert them of my presence, send hunting parties after me, come after me yourself if you want – it does not matter to me. In the end I will fight Malak alone, he is toying with a power that must not be left in his unreasonable grasp."

"Enough." Bastila exclaims, surprising Revan as he turned his head to face her. She was standing, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. The fires sparked, the silence hung within the air for several moments, an uneasy presence sensed by both Revan and Bastila – was it a distortion within the Force? Or simply the tension between the two opposites.

"You will not fight Malak alone. Against my better judgement – I truly believe _you _may be the only one who can amount any resistance against Malak."

"You are suggesting to travel with me Jedi?"

Bastila nods.

"You are suggesting to betray the teachings of your Order and travel alongside the one whom _you _tried to detain. To stand beside Darth Revan, to _follow _Darth Revan like many 'fallen' Jedi Knights before you. What would your precious Council think of that?"

Bastila clenches her fist, "I am a Jedi, first and foremost. The Order has taught me many things, things my parents have not. While I stand by the Council and the Order, I know your power, sensed it, experienced it. The Republic cannot withstand the Sith armada and the Jedi cannot amount to Malak's power – especially when he was trained by one such as you. I simply must trust my instincts and take your word for it Revan. You were a Jedi Knight, so the stories recorded – I believe there is still good in you, room for redemption. Your path to the dark can be rectified."

Darth Revan scoffed, "Dark, light, good, evil. I once thought the same as you, Padawan. But believe me Bastila – there are many Jedi who share my views, those who were simply _afraid _to follow me to the Mandalorian Wars but believed in my cause. Hmph, had you been under the tutelage of my former Master, perhaps she would have taught you the same as I."

"Your Master?" Bastila asked.

Revan nods, "I've had many Jedi Masters who instructed me prior to the Mandalorian Wars. But there was always one Master whom I truly respected, whom I truly took her teachings to heart. Listen close Jedi, perhaps you may learn something about the Force – the _true _meaning of the Force."

Bastila couldn't help but be intrigued to this Sith Lord. Against all better judgement, against all better instincts within her core trying to resist this man – she wanted nothing more than to learn. Revan walks back to the fireplace with Bastila sitting back down. In turn, Revan sits across her with the fire once more separating them. He holds out both his hands and speaks.

"The Dark Side." His right hand sparked with Force Lightning, channelling throughout his fingertips and tracing the lines of his gloves. Bastila winced as the purple entanglements sparked – she was not accustomed to this sudden demonstration of forbidden Force techniques.

"The Light Side." His left hand held a force presence, which illuminated within his palm. As Bastila looked on into his left hand she felt a sudden calm and peace in which she had tried to experience ever since she had been experiencing conflicting emotions with the Council and her position within the Order. Her emotions controlled and tempered…all in accordance with the Jedi Code.

"Two sides of the same card. No doubt the Order has stressed the avoidance of the Dark Side entirely, explaining how many Sith Lords try to possess and bend the Force and the Dark Side to their will, only to have it corrupt them in the end. There is some truth to this, but the exaggeration is unprecedented."

Slowly, Revan closes his hands and meets both his palms infront of him. A surge of Force energy erupted as his hands met, creating a fizzing effect, which took Bastila back slightly.

"Yet in the end – they are both wills of the Force which are meant to be explored, not obsessed over. Many do not understand this subtle difference. _Good_. _Evil_. You characterise the Force when it is not something that is meant to be split. The Force is a living entity; it surrounds us in all living things – no matter how meagre. The Force is…"

"Alive…" Bastila interrupts with widened eyes, quickly coming to understand Revan's philosophy – yet her acceptance was still in question.

Revan smiles when she said that word. It reminded him of his favoured Jedi Master. Even Malak, his most cherished and only friend as well as apprentice – always argued and ignored his teachings especially in regards to the Force. Malak was obsessed with the potential of the Dark Side. Revan was a fool to ignore the growing shadow and ambition within Malak's heart, a mistake he will rectify soon enough.

"You are a quick study Bastila. Tell me, when you landed on Dantooine, isolated and alone. Did something…draw you?"

"Yes. A soft whisper, calling me towards something. Or someone."

Revan tilts his head slightly, "Are you aware of Force bonds?"

Bastila hesitantly nods her head, "I have read theories within the Jedi archives, though nothing of its exact nature."

Revan sits still, watching Bastila through the visor of his mask. The Jedi feels a shiver crawl along her spine. Suddenly, Revan's voice rings inside her mind.

"_Bastila_."

Her eyes widen and she quickly turns her head around, to the sides and evens glancing up at the ceiling.

"_Look forward._"

She does as the voice says. Revan sits, his head slightly tilted – silent and still.

"_This, is the potential of Force bonds. A range of powers shared between two Force sensitives. I did not think that a bond would be created after I used the Force to seal your wounds both on my flagship and those on your leg…"_

Bastila's eyes look down to her injured leg, her fingers moving through the rips of her robes and meeting the healed flesh.

"_Such bonds often form through time. We are both strong in the Force, yet I did not believe a bond could be formed so quickly and to this extent. To broadcast my thoughts and words to you without even saying a physical word… even luring each other to our destinations."_

Bastila opens her mouth to respond but Revan immediately holds a hand up to stop her.

"_No Bastila. Speak. Speak to me…through the Force._"

Bastila sighs as she closes her eyes and concentrates. She did not even know where to begin, this was an area within the Force where she had never explored. She clenched her eyes shut, the hands on her knees quickly balling into clenched fists.

In Revan's mind, he could only hear the faint whispers and grunts of frustration coming from Bastila's inner core. A few moments passed and Bastila finally gave up. Her eyes opened and she pants softly.

Revan chuckles and finally spoke with his physical voice, "No matter, as I said – Force bonds can be tempered over time. As time goes by – perhaps you may learn many strengths which come with this bond."

Bastila sits quietly and furrows her brow as she thinks to herself, "_Of all the people to be bonded with through the Force. It had to be him. Revan…a Dark Lord of the Sith._"

The man smiles behind his mask, "Indeed. You are bonded with the Dark Lord of the Sith. Had I left you onboard my flagship then perhaps you would not be sitting where you are this night. With enough concentration…or emotion in your case. Our thoughts travel to those who we are bonded with Bastila."

Bastila sat there, sheepish. Great, now he was _literally _inside her head and now he can _literally _read her inside and out.

"In future, perhaps I can teach you more than just philosophy. Make you better than what the Council makes you out to be." Revan says as he stands up and brushes the dirt off his robes. Bastila didn't respond, instead she turns her head away from the Sith and tries not to meet her eyes with the visor of his mask.

"Of course. Should my teachings offend your dedication to the Jedi code and the Order, then I will not force you. I cannot waste time bickering and arguing on what's 'right' and 'wrong' when the stakes are far too high with Malak assuming my position as head of the Sith Empire." Revan turns and heads towards the entrance of the cave.

"You should rest, Jedi. We must find a way off this planet if we have any hope of stopping Malak. I will keep watch should any uninvited visitors decide to snuff us out."

The Sith Lord paces forward then stops, he flips his cape to the side – revealing his lightsaber hanging from his belt and he removes it, throwing it towards the Jedi and landing right next to her.

"Assurance...incase you are hellbent on distrusting me. I will want that back come the morning." Revan concluded as he escapes the fire's touch and his silhouette situates itself next to the cave's entrance and simply leans against the wall with arms crossed.

Bastila picks up his lightsaber, observing the weapon carefully before she became tired. She had become uncharacteristically drowsy and needed to sleep. She sleeps on her side with Revan's lightsaber in one hand and rests her head on the other. She made sure to sleep on the side to which she can keep an eye on Revan. Her grey eyes stared at the hooded figure for several minutes before fatigue begins to close them. It wasn't because she didn't trust him…well she didn't, but not completely. She felt something within him, which she didn't expect within a Sith Lord and the things he taught her tonight amounted to more than her entire education within the Jedi Order. In turn, she knew that he felt something in her – he whispered it onboard his flagship afterall. She didn't know what to do at this point.

She was dedicated to the Jedi Order and the Council. But she wanted to learn more, wanted to _do _more where the Council would restrict her from performing. Revan was a gateway to such a path. She didn't like a moment of this, but for now this mutual ground that was established tonight was the best that could be mustered for now. Malak needed to be stopped; they both agreed on that much at least. It was an uneasy relationship, especially when it is solely dependant on each other's word alone.

Bastila's mind needed to rest. Her eyes needed to rest. Her breathing lowered to a slower pace. Her heartbeat echoed throughout her body. Blackness greets her as she descends to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: The Hawk & Unlikely Friends

**_Sith-occupied Taris, Trade & Financial Sector_**

It didn't take long to get lost in the midst of the bustling activity of Taris' main hub of commerce and information. It took every ounce of Carth's perception to figure out which direction he came from amidst the frantic shuffling of the mixed-race crowd. Towering aliens he had never seen before brushed past him, Taris civilians give him suspicious stares – knowing that he was an outsider. The Republic soldier quickly leaves the crowd and tries to find a secluded area. He was proned to being in a rush and didn't even bother to check if the coast was clear, activating his communication beacon and establishing a secure link to his contact.

"Major…" Carth whispered hesitantly and looking over his shoulder occasionally, "Major…do you read me?"

A stuttering yet distinct voice returned as an answer, "We hear you Carth…there's some static coming from the Sith blockade, but we got a clear signal. What's the situation?"

Carth furrowed his brow, "I've been searching the city for several days now. There's no sign of Bastila or the rest of the Jedi Strike team. We can only assume for now that they're dead – along with Darth Revan."

"That's…troubling." The Major said with a hollow tone. "We'll need to alert the Jedi Council on Coruscant – your mission has been aborted Carth."

"There's a chance that some of the Jedi could be alive. We can't give up now. Taris has been blockaded for a reason, the Sith think several escape pods might've crashed here from Revan's ship." Carth responded rather enthusiastically – out of some form of false hope.

"Carth, you said it yourself. We can only assume that they're dead for now. We sent you on Taris because you volunteered to follow any possibility of escape pods finding their way through the Sith armada on Taris and crash land. That has _not _been confirmed Carth – we don't even know if those reports are true."

"I understand Major…but there's still a chance-"

"Not another word soldier! Knew we should've sent an agent instead of you. You're in dangerous territory Carth. The longer you stay on that planet, the more likely you will be seized by the Sith, interrogated and killed."

Carth sighed, "Yes Major. Getting off this rock might be harder than it looks. The Sith armada are shooting down any unauthorised ship trying to enter and leave Taris."

The Major was about to speak before Carth was spotted.

"Citizen!" A stern voice rings out, "What are you doing isolated over there?" Two Sith soldiers clad in armour approached Carth, blasters in hand and ready to fire.

Carth thought of something quickly, attempting to act his way out of this situation.

"My apologies. I just injured my ankle and needed some time to adjust."

"The laws of Taris state there will be no loitering no matter the circumstances. In cases such as these, a fine will be imposed upon the suspect...and can be removed with force by Sith authority." One of the soldiers stated, pacing closer towards the Republic soldier.

The other Sith soldier placed a hand over his comrade and shook his head, "Calm down Corporal, a fine will not be necessary…or forceful detention. Collect your bearings and move on citizen. Tallying for too long in one location arouses suspicion. A law-abiding citizen of Taris and the Sith Empire understands that do you not?"

Carth simply nods with a shit-eating grin printed on his face as he slowly walks back, turns and disappears from the Sith's view.

"He was an odd one Sergeant."

"You're telling me. I hate this damned planet sometimes."

Carth makes an effort to obscure himself within one of Taris' alleys (surprisingly clean and maintained as per custom with Sith doctrine) and reinitiates his communication via his communicator.

"Major? Are you there?"

"We're still here Carth. Listen – we have contacts within the lower city sectors of Taris, primarily with the Rodian mercenaries of the Exchange. There is only one ship on Taris with the authority and bypass passports to float past the Sith armada unharmed."

"Alright, point me the direction."

"A ship belonging to Davik Kang…said to be the fastest ship in the Outer Rim. If you're able to retrieve it, you can get clear of Sith occupied Space in no time."

"And let me guess…I need to go through a bunch of Exchange thugs to get to it."

"…Possibly." The Major retorted sarcastically.

"Great…glad I volunteered for this mission for the good of the Republic."

"We've uploaded several routes you can take to your datapad. It outlines the Exchange's hideout as well as Kang's private estate. The ship should be waiting there…unless Kang hasn't already departed Taris with it."

"Oh wonderful…now there's a chance that the ship isn't even there and I'll be left alone in a compound full of Exchange marauders."

"…Possibly." The Major retorted once more, equally as sarcastic as the first.

Carth sighed and gently squeezed his closed eyes with two fingers, "…Right. Understood Major. For the Republic."

"For the Republic. Command out."

The communication hub was disconnected and Carth's datapad blinked shortly after. A direction to the Exchange and an entire schematic of Kang's estate was complex and gave Carth a headache. Yet there was no time to be procrastinating when his life was dependant on chance. To leave Taris – or isolated here surrounded by the Sith. As Carth made his way towards the lower city of Taris – he couldn't help but notice through the bustling crowds of aliens and people, a young Twi'lek girl dressed in a rogue outfit fitted with a brown vest, bickering towards a Sith officer clad in a navy grey dress uniform accompanied by two Sith troopers behind him. The crowd steered away from the scene, but Carth instinctively paced towards them.

_It was Sith law and order as expected_, Carth thought to himself. The oppression of the lowly and the segregation from the Sith to the rest.

"Get your hands off me! You have no reason to detain me!" The girl screamed as she pulled her arm away from the grip of one of the Sith troopers.

"Come quietly girl. Hand over your weapons and cooperate. We don't need to make a scene." The officer addressed with a composed tone, yet his patience was clearly slipping away.

"You've got no proof, nothing to pin on me. Oh just you wait till I get my friend on you. He'll rip you guys to shreds."

"Yes, yes, enough. Gentlemen, if you would please restrain her."

The two Sith troopers moved in to try and grab and restrict the Twi'lek girl's movement.

"Hey! Get off me!"

Carth stopped just infront of the scene, "What's going on here?"

The Sith officer turned his head and held his hands behind his back, "This does not concern you civilian. Leave."

"Say, why don't you just leave the kid alone huh? What's she do to deserve the _wrath_of the Sith?" Carth said with a somewhat comical tone, disgruntling the officer as he willingly obliged to answer the question.

"This _alien_, has been suspected of conducting unlawful activities within the restricted quarantine zones. She will be brought in for questioning…along with her accomplices. You don't happen to be acquainted with this girl are you?"

Carth shakes his head and feigns a hearty laugh, "Not at all! But how about you just let the girl go?" Carth reached into his pocket and displayed several credit chips.

"Just let it all slide, how about it?"

The Sith officer looked over to the two Sith troopers standing by for further orders. His eyes traced back to Carth and narrowed.

"You dare try to bribe an officer of the Sith Empire? Troopers, detain this one as well. Questioning him will be most amusing."

Carth began to panic, this plan didn't work out as he expected and he had to once more think quickly. Slowly the Troopers walk towards him, with Carth backing up to the point where he was next to the Twi'lek girl – who looked at him as if he was a fool.

"Now let's not be hasty…how about we make a dea- BY THE STARS IS THAT A CATHAR!"

All three of the Sith look behind to where Carth pointed, only for Carth to lead the girl with him and disappear into the crowds of Taris. By the time the Sith turned back, they had already gone.

* * *

Carth and the Twi'lek panted after they came to a stop, confident in the fact that they had escaped the sights of Sith patrols who have no doubt been alerted of two scoundrels escaping detainment.

"I thought they would've turned us both in…" The girl said still panting.

"Yeah…well. I never thought that Sith soldiers would fall for a blatant farce like that." Carth exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm glad it did though. I've realised that soldiers on this planet aren't that smart. It's easy to lose them." The girl replied with a smile.

As the two regained their endurance, the Twi'lek shoots her hand out and smiles brightly, "I'm Mission. Mission Vao. I have no idea why you bothered to stand in for a girl like me, but at this point I don't care. What's yours?"

Carth took one more deep breath before responding, "Carth…Onasi. Lets just say I helped cause I'm not a very big fan of the Sith exercising their mighty and privileged nose around."

"Join the club. I would want nothing more than to get off Taris. This place is rotten after those tin-heads took over."

Carth chuckled, "I can help with that. But I don't know if it's your best interest."

"Getting off this planet? Ha, tin-heads have their guns ready to blow you out of the sky as soon as you leave air-space. Good luck with that."

"There's a ship. With all the codes and necessary transits to get past the fleet. It's hard to get, and I don't want to put a kid's life in danger to get it."

Mission frowns at his statement, "Hey! I'm not a kid. Turning fifteen soon enough."

Carth sighs, "Fifteen? Girl that age should still be in education. Not freelancing around."

"I learn just enough to get by, Carth. But that's beside the point. What kinda ship is it?"

"I have no idea."

"…You don't even know what the ship is? The model? The class?"

Carth shakes his head, defeated. Mission simply shrugs and presents her naïvity.

"Whatever, as long as it flies it works. You're certain it can get us off Taris?"

Carth smirks, "Well, it's your best chance of getting off-world." Soon, Carth's smile disappears, "Wait…what am I doing? I can't put a kid like you up to this. It's dangerous."

"I'm not a kid! Besides, how dangerous can it be anyway?"

Carth sighs and palms his face. "…We're stealing the ship from the Exchange."

Mission's face turned pale after hearing that word, "O-oh. Those guys. They mean serious business…but hey what do we have to lose?"

"Our lives for one."

"I wouldn't consider tin-head occupation to be 'living'. It's not exactly a paradise for scavengers like me." Mission sighed, stretching her arms up and continued to speak with a strangely cheery tone, "Look. I can hold up on my own Carth, and I want off this planet. If you're the guy that can lead me to this ship and get us off-world, then I'm willing to take my chances. I'm handy with a blaster, street smart and a decent tinkerer, trust me – I'm great with droids."

Carth arches an eyebrow, looking at this vibrant young girl as if she was crazy. He sighed, straightening his back and removing his hands from his knees, "I don't exactly agree with the idea, but fine kid. If I'm gonna have any chance of getting off this rock alive I might as well take all the help I can get."

Mission claps her hands, "Yes! But first…uh, I need to pick someone up. I have a friend waiting for me at the Upper City Cantina."

Carth furrowed his brow, "That's gonna take time! We don't exactly have a wide time frame Mission."

The Twi'lek places her hands over her hips, "It'll be a quick stop. Besides – my friend is great! I don't leave anywhere without him…more specifically he doesn't leave anywhere without me. But hey, just think of him as extra…'muscle' in case things go sour with the Exchange."

Carth taps his foot on the ground, his pondering interrupted when the distant sounds of Sith patrols could be heard in the distance.

"Ugh fine. We'll get this friend of yours and book it to the Exchange hideout. I have a few of their access codes in my datapad…but we have to hurry."

"Super!" Mission said brightly as she turned and ran back out into the crowds of Taris, Carth running closely after her.

**Later - Upper City Cantina, Taris **

Mission stumbles into the establishment without a single worry, her hands on her hips, back straight and a smile broadened from ear to ear. Denizens within the cantina stopped and stared at her momentarily – as if they were aware that this girl was way too young to be waltzing into a place like this. Shortly after their eyes drifted away and simply did not care. Carth had his hands in his pockets, but he was ready to draw his blaster from his holster. Cantina's like these had a reputation of being filled with confrontations. Mission dove deeper into the cantina while Carth followed closely behind.

"Lets get your friend and get out of here. I don't like the looks of these guys, slushing their drinks around and giving me the eye."

"Welcome to Taris I guess. This place used to be rowdier but ever since the tin-heads took over the planet it's been pretty boring. Guess no one wants the attention of the Sith."

"You got that right." Carth snickered as he walks over a spilled puddle of liquor.

"Z shouldn't be hard to spot. Probably the biggest guy in the room." Mission said with narrowed eyes, looking past the brawl that just happened between a Duros and a Rodian right infront of her before they moved back and out of her sight.

"Well let's hope this 'Z' doesn't get us spotted when we're trying to infiltrate an Exchange hideout." Carth murmurs as he ducks from a bottle being hurled in his direction._This place is bustling_, Carth thought to himself. Fist fights occurring every corner of the way, bottles being smashed and used as weapons, customers passed out on the floor covered in their own drool and grog. If Mission says that it had been 'rowdier' before the Sith arrived – Carth can only imagine it's previous state.

A few seconds pass by and Mission instantly lights up, "Hey big guy! Need some help?!"

Carth looks in the direction Mission was shouting towards. His eyes widened as the scene of a towering beast covered in fur growl in rage – a human mercenary being held by the throat in one of his large hands, the other doing the same to a Twi'lek thug. The creature turned its head and growled in a pitched drawl towards Mission. She smiled and simply crossed her arms.

"He says he's got this." Mission said towards Carth as he continued to stand there bug eyed. 'Z' roared at the two men within his grasp, fear turning them white.

"Alright! Stop! We won't bother you ever again we swear!" The human stammered.

"Just let…eck…let us go! We won't call you fur-ball freak ever again! Eck!" The Twi'lek croaked.

The towering behemoth lets them go, their bodies landing on the ground with a hard thud. The two men massage their necks before they quickly clamber away from the furry creature. 'Z' roared at them once more, spurring the two men to crawl faster before sprinting out of the cantina.

Mission walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder while standing on her toes. 'Z' looked down at her and murmured something in his dialect, with Mission taking offence shortly after.

"Ugh, Z – I don't look like a kid. That's why no-one's thrown me out. Now come on, I got someone you'd like to meet. Says he's got us a ticket off this planet."

Carth pops up into the creature's view, his emotions screaming out that he has obviously never seen a species such as Z.

"…Nice to meet you. Uh. Z?"

"Zaalbar's his name. But I thought it'd be cute to call him Big Z. Cause he's mean and tough and no one messes around with him. Handy to have close."

Zaalbar growled in a lifting manner, though Carth can hardly tell the difference in tone.

"You won't believe what we have to do to get off this planet. But I'll let Carth do the talking." Mission said as she prepped her chest and crossed her arms.

"Uh…right. Listen big guy, I assume you understand Basic and I'm pressed for time, so I'll get to the point. We're taking a ship that belongs to the Exchange, it belongs to Davik Kang specifically. But it's the only ship with the transit codes that won't let the Sith armada blast us to smithereens."

Zaalbar stared at Carth for several moments, looking at him as if he was crazy. Carth probably thought he himself was crazy too, saying this stuff out loud as if it was the easiest thing to do. The Wookie then turned to Mission and signalled her to talk in private. Mission glanced at Carth and shrugged, accompanying her friend as they walked several paces away from him and talked out of range from the Republic agent.

Carth arched an eyebrow as he sat back on one of the benches and waited for them to talk about whatever they had to talk about.

Zaalbar growled at Mission, only for her to retort back with an answer.

"Yes, I know it sounds like a suicide run. But it's the best chance we've got."

Zaalbar growled once more.

"Well I don't suppose you have any better ideas of getting off this planet. Come on Z, this might be our only chance of seeing the galaxy again. Maybe you might even get to go home?"

The Wookie thought about this thoroughly. He looked at Carth who stared blankly at the other side of the room and snarled.

"I- don't know if we can trust him. But he saved me from a bunch of Sith bullies earlier."

Zaalbar folds his arms and furrows his brow. Mission gives him a sheepish smile.

"Yeah…we just met but still. I think he's a genuine guy. Come on big guy. Whaddya say?" Mission holds out her fist. Zaalbar rolls his neck and growls in submission as he bumps his significantly larger paw with the Twi'lek. The two partners rejoin with Carth and he can tell with Mission's vibrant face that they were willing to join Carth in this hectic adventure.

"We're coming with you to take that ship. Who knows? It might be fun."

Carth smiled. Sith occupied Taris wasn't the easiest place to live in, or the nicest place in general. But even a Republic soldier can find colourful individuals lurking in the right places to help him steal a crime lord's private ship to escape off-world. Even if those characters are individuals he had just met.

**Several hours later, Davik Kang's Estate**

Carth looks at his datapad, they were sitting directly outside of the main hangar where the ship was supposedly being maintained. The lock was obviously decrypted and their options were running short.

"These thugs can walk in on us any moment. Any one got any ideas?" Carth whispered.

"I can try and do something about this lock. It's not exactly my field, but I can tinker around with it." Mission whispered back, making her way to the console and prying open it's hatch. Zaalbar remained crouch, his crossbow in hand and keeping an eye on the corridor across them. Bypassing the Exchange hideout was a treck, but infiltrating Kang's estate was no joke. There were several moments where Carth thought that they were gone for, but Mission and Zaalbar proved to be invaluable to helping him get passed. He didn't know what would happen if he had tried this on his own.

Several minutes fly by and Mission clicks her fingers. "Got it." She whispered. The doors open and the trio make their way inside. Sitting at the centre of the hangar was a unique freighter that was light in armour yet distinctive and familiar to Carth somehow.

"Oh…my…gosh. It's the Ebon Hawk!" Mission squealed with delight. Carth hushed the girl. Mission cupped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry…"

"That's the Ebon Hawk? Huh. I've heard stories about it. Fastest ship in the Outer Rim. Not surprised it belongs to a guy like Davik." Carth whispered with admiration.

Mission's eyes light up as she placed her hands on her hips and nods, "If I'd known we were about to steal the Ebon Hawk. I would've gotten Zaalbar to agree with your plan instantly. Ain't that right Zaalbar?"

The Wookie gave a simple growl as his response. As the three approached the ship, they were stopped as an uptight T3 utility droid clad in silver approached the trio.

"Dweet-Boooo-Prrrt-Dwo?"

Mission chuckled, "Uh…yeah? Of course we were sent by Davik…to…to inspect you. Yeah."

The droid beeped with delight as it opened it's main hatch and prepared itself for maintenance.

"Huh, guess it thought we were engineers giving it a checkup." Mission said as she placed her hands on her hips, "Might as well reconfigure its settings. A utility droid of this calibre is hard to come by these days."

"Make it quick. We need to get on the ship before the Exchange finds us." Carth rushed with Zaalbar nodding in agreement.

"I'll be quick. We can't maintain a ship like the Ebon Hawk ourselves. This guy can really help out." Mission knelt down and tinkered with the droid's settings. "Wow, this thing is really up to date. Kang must've paid top credits for this guy to maintain the Hawk for him. Hope he doesn't mind if we steal him too."

Several seconds pass and the droid sparked to life.

"Done." Mission exclaimed. "Hey little guy. You're our friend now. Understand? Friend."

"Doot? Dwee-Dooo."

Mission smiled. "Alright, I've reconfigured his priority settings. He thinks we're his friends now."

"Yeah that's all good and sweet Mission. But we need to get on the ship now!" Carth yelled, his patience wearing thin.

"Alright! Jeez, such a grumpy old fart. Hey…Teethree? Yeah that works. Hey Teethree, mind opening the clamps off the Ebon Hawk for us?"

T3 buzzed and beeped in approval, making its way over to a nearby terminal and locking it's slicing beam into it's socket and removed the clamps off the Ebon Hawk as well as opening the entrance of the ship. Carth, Mission, Zaalbar and T3 made their way inside the Ebon Hawk and a clear window to freedom was clear. Carth finds himself in the vibrant cockpit of the ship and tried to prep the Hawk's engines for take off. The problem was, it was under a lockdown sequence which needed to be re-routed.

"Ugh, blast it all." Carth yelled. "Hey...droid, can you do something about this?"

T3 rolled over to the cockpit and beeped.

"Teethree says it'll take a few minutes to rework the lockdown. Be patient. After he's done we'll be free to explore the stars." Mission exclaimed with that trademarked smile of hers.

Carth rustled his fingers into his hair and sighed, "Alright…I guess we'll be airborne in no time."

Zaalbar growled, he was tired and wanted to explore the rest of the ship – or find a quarter that best suited him. To Mission this was an adventure of a lifetime, to Carth this was simply a means to an end, for Zaalbar – he just knew that this was going to be a long trip.

* * *

**A few minutes later…**

"I swear…Kang can kiss my ass sometimes." A tall, grey haired man strolls into the hangar and curses beneath his breath. Both his hands were occupied with a dated Mandalorian blaster. His silver eyes scanned his environment, the dead-set quietness putting him off ease.

"Tch. Why does he send me of all people to check up on his precious ship? Couldn't even send Nord with me. The gall of that spineless…" The man stopped and observed the Ebon Hawk.

"…Strange. I don't remember anyone allowing the entrance hatch to be opened. Where's that damned T3 unit?" The Mandalorian stepped closer and closer until he was at the very entrance of the ship.

Canderous Ordo had made a reputation for himself as one of the most infamous mercenaries within the Taris sector, and has even gotten himself on good terms with Kang and the Exchange – serving as a glorified bodyguard and enforcer. But the warrior had set his mind on other endeavours. He hated being stuck in one place, and more than once he thought about commandeering the Hawk and steer his way off to freedom once and for all – to find challenges and opportunities that may prove his worth.

Ordo peered inside the Hawk and was about to call for the T3 maintenance droid and see if it was inside. Just then, the Hawk's engines roar to life. It's stabilisers retracted back inside the ship and the Ebon Hawk was afloat, ready to take off. Gradually, the entrance ramp slowly began to seal back up, disembarking off the floor and closing to the top.

"Hey!" Ordo yelled as he leapt up and grabbed the edge of the ramp. His grip was slipping – but his strength pulled both him and his weapon up just in time. The ramp made it to an angle where Canderous slid down and finds himself in the interior of the Ebon Hawk. The ship was moving, and the departure from Kang's estate was evident. Canderous could only imagine the alarms being set off in the Exchange, and the face of Davik when he realises his pride and joy had been stolen.

_Someone's beaten me to it. What kind of looney Exchange thug would betray their own boss and think to get away from it?_Canderous thought to himself as he prepped his blaster and slowly moved through the interior and gradually closer to the cockpit.

He stopped. He hears faint voices belonging to a man and a woman.

"You never mentioned you were with the Republic." The girl exclaimed with surprise.

"You never asked." The man replied.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I don't really care if you're with the Republic or not. Anything's better than those Sith. But if we're travelling together for now – then we're gonna need some trust onboard."

The man sighed and responded, "Listen Mission. While I appreciate your help and all – I'm on a mission and have news to deliver to Coruscant. At this rate I might have to drop you all off at the nearest space port."

"What?! Don't you dare think about that. If it weren't for me and Z – you wouldn't even be sitting in that pilot seat. Hell, even without Teethree you'd be still hanging around in that hangar."

Canderous furrowed his brow. The girl and the man talking made up two, yet she also mentioned that there was another called 'Z' as well as the assumed T3 unit judging by the last phrase that was mentioned. He was outnumbered and did not know where the other two were. He could slaughter everyone onboard and take the ship for himself. The risk was there – but he could take it, he was no coward. Yet then again, this was an opportunity to find out more about what's happening with the galaxy and the Republic in general – being stuck on Taris with communications restricted by the Sith was no communications hub.

Canderous groaned and snuck around the back and thought about hiding in the engine room or the supplies area. Whichever one he chose, he knew it was going to take a while before they land.

Carth was about to speak before something blinked at the helm of the cockpit.

"Ugh, look Mission. We can talk about this later. When was the last time Kang pumped fuel into this thing?"

Mission groaned in annoyance, "Fine. But we're staying on the Ebon Hawk whether you like it or not." She walked off cursing at Carth, calling him old and decaying.

Carth observed the fuel readings then over to T3, "Hey little guy. Mind making yourself useful and getting over to the holomap and finding the closest Republic 'friendly' spaceport?"

The droid beeped and did as he commanded. Several moments later, T3 returned.

"Dweet-Doo-Zrrt."

"What's that? Dantooine? That's not a spaceport." Carth said as the Ebon Hawk drifted past the Sith armada unharmed and shifted into dark space.

T3 beeped as a reply.

"Well…that's true. I heard there was a Jedi settlement of some sort there. Never was one for involving myself with those Force do hickeys." Carth said as he directed the Hawk's route to Dantooine.

Carth prepped the ship's intercom and spoke, allowing everyone on board including Canderous to hear him.

"Hold on guys. It's going to be a bumpy ride."


	5. Chapter 4: The Enclave

The texture of dirt meddled between her fingers. The smell of dry dust and decaying grind burrowed within her nostrils. Bastila clenched her teeth, her fingers reacting in a similar fashion by digging her nails into the ground. Her mind spun as she slept, dreams of the Jedi, of the Sith. Within the catacombs of her mind saw the figure of Revan standing in complete darkness, his hands behind his back as he spoke in incomprehensible whispers. Soon, the Jedi Council would pop up within these dreams. They scold her for her ambition, trying to convince her that Jedi Knighthood was not at all the means of following the Jedi Order.

Bastila did not care. Her position as a Jedi Knight within the Order would give her the means of providing a more meaningful contribution to the conflict around the Galaxy. A mere Padawan instinctively gives the impression of a learner, an individual who knows nothing – merely a beginner in the things that transpire around her. Bastila hated that idea, that no matter how hard she worked, no matter the things she has accomplished, she was not properly acknowledged for it. Her dreams fade to darkness, Revan returning to take his stage in darkness. His voice called to her, murmuring incomprehensible phrases.

It continued and persisted for several moments. Yet suddenly, amidst the mumbling whispers a distinct voice belonging to Revan, unruffled and unfiltered by his mask emerged.

"Bastila."

The Jedi groaned in her sleep, trying to construct a response while unconscious.

"Bastila…you and I are in the end opposites. You are a Jedi, bent by the code you pledged yourself towards. I am a Sith Lord fuelled by my emotion. My actions tempered by own selfish gains." Revan spoke as he paced from side to side.

"But we can be more than what our titles define us as. A title, is nothing more than what the word suggests. A title. In the end, it is the Force that defines us as who we are. Keep that in mind Jedi. Never forget it."

Bastila tried to respond but the image of Revan faded into dust, leaving nothing but a dark atmosphere alone to Bastila's thoughts. Emerging from the darkness, a grey mist makes itself present and slowly formed a blurred image of a robed woman integrating her hands within the sleeves of her robes, her face obscured by shadows. Within her mind, Bastila stepped closer towards the misty figure, a whisper meeting her ears.

"What…what are you saying to me?" Bastila asked as she stopped just infront of the grey woman. "Visions of Revan…in my head. As if he was talking to me directly. Now this…another phenomena of the Force the Council refuses to tell me? A trick of the Dark Side? Tell me!" Bastila shouted.

The misty woman remained silent for several seconds before converging closer towards Bastila. It's voice emerged, distorted and echoed within the hollows of her mind.

"You are…confused…"

The mist paused as it whispered something, which Bastila barely picked up.

"You are…angry…"

The mist dissolved into the ground, only for it to reform directly infront of Bastila's face. The Jedi's grey eyes stared into the hollow silhouette of where a face should sit.

"You want…answers…above all…" The voice whispered eerily, "But most of all…you are…afraid."

Bastila's eyes widened, fear gripping her tongue. Her throat felt dry, in her sleep she groaned and mumbled – beginning to sweat.

"What…_who _are you?" Bastila managed to say, composing her fear.

The mist stands quietly, emerging it's hands from the sleeves of its robes. "A sensible question, though not one that needs to be addressed as of now. _Who _I am does not matter. A better question might be _who _the man you travel with is."

"The man I travel with? …Revan?" Bastila murmured.

"There is potential within you, young one. Yet it is…unclear on what sort of mark you leave upon the galaxy."

"My potential? You mean my Battle Meditation?" Bastila asked, overwhelmed by what she is witnessing.

The mist moved inexplicably, yet it was clear that she was simply shaking her head. "No. You are meant for greater things. You will leave your mark in history – as you will eventually leave your mark…on _him_."

The mist gradually fades and disperses. Bastila takes a step forward, reaching out towards her, "Wait!" She cried, but it was too late – the vision in her mind dissipated into nothing. One final, eerie whisper hissing from the mist's voice.

"Heed my words, know your fate. Know Revan as you would your master. _Bastila, wake up_."

Her eyes shoot open. Within her view stood a camp fire which was long burnt out, past that stood the entrance of the cave – illuminated by a bright sun, shining it's rays through the cave and enhancing the vision of her surroundings. She slowly crawls off her side and rubs her eyes, discovering that within her hand still retained Revan's lightsaber.

She turns her head and observes around the cave – the Sith Lord had disappeared without a trace.

"Revan?" she called out softly, her voice broken and barely carried out throughout the echoes of the cave. She groaned as she staggered up onto her feet. Her hand runs through the rips of her robes, massaging her aching thighs. She steps over the exhausted campfire and slowly makes her way towards the entrance of the cave. As she approached the bright light, her eyes squint and she raises an arm to block the brunt of the sunlight. As she steps out onto the dirt, her fingers tighten around the hilt of Revan's lightsaber. His presence was close – Bastila felt it, whether it be a side effect of their assumed 'Force bond' or simply a demonstration of the Sith Lord's seething power.

As Bastila's eyes adjust to the light, she slowly lowers her arm and sees a distant hooded figure standing on a nearby hill, the winds carrying his cape behind him. In a way, Bastila felt relieved that she wasn't abandoned. Then again – she was relieved in general that Revan kept his word on keeping her alive. She could appreciate his honesty, even go as far as to respect the integrity of his words. She makes her way towards the hill and climbs to the top, stopping just a few metres away from Revan as he continued to observe the horizon of Dantooine's lush fields. A gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh water and dirt to Bastila's nose. It was soothing in a way, a sense of peace, which every Jedi should aspire to experience.

"You awaken…good." Revan murmured without turning to face the Jedi.

"You kept your promise to spare me. Remarkable. I've always learned that the Sith never cared about anything except their power." Bastila said as she kept Revan's lightsaber prepped and ready to ignite.

Revan paused and looked over his shoulder. Bastila could feel that he was doing it again – sensing her through the force and feeling her intentions. The Sith Lord places his hands behind his cape and smiles behind his mask.

"You still don't trust me. I don't blame you. Yet as a Jedi you believe that _I_ should be inclined to trust you because of that fact." Revan stated as he paced slowly from side to side, keeping his gaze against the horizon.

"I never insisted such a thing." Bastila retorted, frustration building within her.

"Oh? Then am I not to trust you? Perhaps not. Undisciplined. Quick to emotion. Guided by arrogance. Your assault on my flagship was an example of that." Revan stops and finally turns to face the Padawan.

"I am not quick to act on my emotion!" Bastila shouted, her voice seemingly regained its fire.

Revan tilts his head slightly to the side and simply stared at her. Bastila blinks her eyes twice and shakes her head, imagining her impulse brought about a smug expression behind that twisted mask.

"Well…once my training is complete, that issue may be addressed. Yet arrogance?"

"Perhaps…when you faced me onboard my flagship, your strikes were directed yet unbalanced. Your strikes were sent through pure agility and an attempt to circumvent my position. This fatigues you quickly. But enough of this – you are awake, alive and my lightsaber in your hand. Shall we move on? Or do you still intend to remain hostile towards me?"

Bastila narrowed her eyes, she was aware that Revan may be the best chance the Republic had at opposing Malak against his destructive tyranny – yet he was nonetheless a Sith Lord, a living contradictory to everything Bastila grew up and leaned towards. The grip which held Revan's lightsaber tightened, her eyes glaring deep into the visor of his mask. She said she would stand with him, to face Malak. That was a promise she had made in her heart – a Jedi honours their intentions.

Bastila performs an underarm throw, arcing the lightsaber towards Revan's direction. The Sith Lord captures his weapon with one hand and brings it infront of his face. He stared at it, then looked back to Bastila.

"So you trust me then?" Revan asked with a smile breaching behind his mask.

"For now." Bastila retorted. Revan shrugs and simply holsters his weapon beside his hip.

"Then shall I suggest we move on? The longer we stay stranded on this planet the more time we give Malak to achieving his goal." He begins to walk, strolling past Bastila and descending the hill towards a new direction. He stops, turns and looks at Bastila who was still standing motionless, staring at him.

"Well? Shall we move on? Or would you prefer the empty scenery?"

Bastila shakes her head but follows Revan, taking extra care to remain several paces behind him incase he tried to do something.

"Do you know where we are going?" Bastila asks as they both wade through the taller sections of grass.

Revan replied, "No. I do not. Yet something calls to me…do you not feel it?"

Bastila raises her head slightly up. She feels a surge of collective energy reach out towards her, coming from the direction they were walking towards.

"I feel, a vast source of Force energies in the distance. Could it be a settlement?"

Revan shakes his head as they continued down their path, "A simple settlement wouldn't give off this much of a presence." He stopped in his tracks. Bastila nearly collided into him with his sudden action. The Sith Lord peered over his shoulder and stared at the young Jedi. She could feel his gaze meet her eyes – Bastila couldn't help but stare back at the reflecting visor.

"…More likely, it is the academy belonging to the Jedi Enclave."

Bastila's eyes widen, yet she could hardly be surprised. A settlement besides the established Enclave would be unheard of.

"You intend…to head to the Enclave? You are practically handing yourself over to the Jedi."

Revan furrows his brow as they continued along the fields, "I am aware. But I never said I would be setting foot within the academy. So far, I am at a loss. Fate has brought us to this planet isolated of any spaceport, city or settlement. Reasonably, my only option is to seek the closest thing to one."

Bastila sighs then responds, "Ships aren't known to travel to Dantooine – much less the Enclave. I hear they have not been accepting any Padawans or requesting additional Jedi to the Enclave, what makes you think there is a chance that a ship will dock at the academy?"

Revan remained quiet for several moments, wading through the grass and hiking along the hills before finally stopping at the edge of a hill and peered towards the endless plains.

"I suppose fate will have to intervene once more." Revan states and looks up to the blue sky, "Better yet…the Force may guide us towards one."

Bastila stops and watched as Revan observed the plains; he was entranced over something – as if he was…concerned.

"You have questions for me." Revan said.

"Excuse me?" Bastila questioned.

"You are bursting with curiosity…and fear…of something you have never experienced before…until recently. These are things you don't understand, yet you know that the only way your curiosity may be sated is by providing questions for me."

"…I may." Bastila said rubbing her arm with one hand.

"Then I suggest you ask your questions before we delve further. A clear mind is a stable one."

Bastila takes a deep breath, she couldn't believe that she was being tutored by a Sith Lord of all things – yet she couldn't believe the fact that she was actually listening to the things he was saying. Bastila closes her eyes, exhaled once more and finally spoke, "…I had dreams. Visions. Of you. Of something- _someone _else."

The Sith slowly turns to face Bastila, crossing his arms and listening attentively.

"In these dreams you spoke to me, about us. How we were 'meant to be more'. That our mantles as Sith and Jedi do not define who we are. I need to know Revan…are you playing with my mind? Were you attempting to control me by placing these visions in my head? To goad me to question my standing as a Jedi?"

Revan remained still as he realised that she was beginning to feel betrayed and possibly thinking that he was trying to use Bastila for his own ends. To an extent this was true, yet he had no intention of forcing her to submit to the Dark Side – that is a fool's goal. That is the goal of those like Darth Malak.

"Bastila. You have my word – that I played no part in these…visions of yours. I have not approached you while you slept; I have not used the powers, which you Jedi consider 'forbidden' to twist your mind and alter your loyalties. Indeed. You make a powerful ally, yet bringing you over to my perspective will never work through torture, deceit or lies. No…to convert one such as yourself to become my disciple…my _apprentice_…it requires something much more simple."

"And what would that be Revan?" Bastila asked through a righteous hiss – her mind still revering the Order she grew up and aspired towards. The Dark Lord folds his hands behind his back and steps forward towards the Padawan. Bastila's grey eyes lighten with fear as he approached her with an overwhelming aura of Dark Side energy. He stops directly infront of her, her head tilted up to match his gaze. The winds of Dantooine carried his cape past his legs and waist towards Bastila. A deaf silence sat within the distance between the two Force-users for several seconds before Revan broke the stillness with stout words.

"…Truth. Bastila. I simply need to tell you the truth."

* * *

**2 Hours later, The Ancient Grove**

After what had seemed an eternity of walking – Revan and Bastila comes along a solid path leading them towards their calling destination. While they embarked on this journey, Bastila had kept quiet and any witty remarks she may have wanted to reveal had ultimately dissipated within her mind. As they walked, her eyes constantly looked at Revan and the word 'Truth' constantly rang inside her head. What was the truth? The Jedi Council refused to tell her everything there was to know about the Force, yet how can she learn if she was taught nothing? How can one hope to survive if one was ignorant of the world around them? So many questions to ask, so many answers to accompany them – only for those questions to duplicate in number once sated.

The two come across stone pavements leading further into the grasslands – yet trees also greeted their view. Bastila was aware that they were nearing the Jedi Enclave, and it was only a matter of time before she decided what to do with Revan. It was also only a matter of time for Revan to decide what to do if he gets there.

"A woman…" Bastila suddenly murmured. Revan paused momentarily and turned to face the Padawan. She looked up to him and narrowed her eyes, "In my dreams. My visions. A mist taking the form of a woman appeared before me."

The Sith Lord was seemingly fascinated by this notion, Bastila could tell with way he remained silent, sensing him tense slightly. Whether it was curiosity or concern – only he knew.

"A woman? Appearing in your dreams? Curious. What did she look like?" Revan asked.

"Her face? I'm afraid I can't provide detail. She was robed…like a Jedi. Her head was concealed by a hood."

"Her voice? Did she speak to you?" Revan interrupted. Bastila now confirmed her realisation. Revan was intrigued beyond comprehension.

"It was not distinct. It was…scratched, eerie…and called like an echo." Bastila responded, "She told me things. About me. About you…you in particular. She told me to follow you. As if you were my master."

Revan stared at Bastila, she stared back.

"Do you have any notion of what that means?"

"I have no part in these dreams you are experiencing. It could be a side effect of our bond. It could be the fatigue you endured from the Kath hound attack." Revan responds in a quick tone, as if he was anxious.

"Odd. This woman…I've never seen her before – yet she acted as if she knew me better than I know myself."

Revan slowly turned his direction to the path infront of him and murmured something to himself, "_This…woman. She sounds like…"_He shakes his head and presses on.

"We cannot linger here. We must move on."

Bastila tried to call out for him, yet she was halted as Revan raised his hand and signalled her to stop. When she was proned to ask him why, she suddenly feels a surge of Dark Side energy. This was an evil presence, fuelled by pure anger. Yet it was not the same as Revan's. Unlike Revan, this Dark Side essence was untempered and uncontrolled, like it was ready to explode any moment.

Carefully, Revan continued down the stone path with Bastila following closely behind. The view of large and ancient pillars surrounding a kneeling figure came into their sights. A grove long-abandoned surrounded in the essence of Dark power and feeding the animalistic and primitive nature of the wildlife surrounding them. The grass withered as they approach the site, their boots previously wading through the soft green grass now crunched the dry blades beneath their heel.

Revan and Bastila stop just short of the figure kneeling at the centre of the ruins. Bastila felt her spine shiver along her back, the delicate hairs on her body stood up as they approached the ancient grove. The figure cleared to a young Cathar donned in Jedi robes sitting as the source of Dark Side energy. Revan observed the Cathar Padawan, his eyes drifting from her closed eyes down to her waist, acknowledging the ligthsaber that hung on her belt. Pre-emptively, Revan determined the threat this Jedi posed – she was fuelled by hate, pride, and betrayal yet she was ultimately guided by raw anger. To sum up in Revan's mind, she was dangerous.

Suddenly, the Cathar's eyes shoot open, her feline iris' thinning with primal instinct and aggression. She stands up, pulls her lightsaber from her belt and extends her free arm forward. Bastila could feel herself freeze in place as the Cathar's finger's pointed directly towards her. This soon came to be as she realised her mouth wouldn't open – words refusing to leave her mouth. Her joints motionless, her feet refusing to leave the ground to move. Her eyes looked around and realised that she was influenced by a Dark power, a side of the Force she has yet to experience fully. From the corner of her eye, Bastila could only watch as Revan strode past her frozen form, his head briefly turned to look at her before diverting his attention back at the threat at hand.

Without warning, the fallen Jedi ignited her lightsaber, her blade crimson and was not what Revan was expecting. A fight was inevitable, words will not convince her otherwise. Revan Force pulls his lightsaber from within his robes and prepares for her to strike. His foe lets out a feline screech and lunged towards the Dark Lord. Revan steps back and allows the Cathar to land infront of him. She sends out upward blows centred to decapitate his head from his body to which Revan deflects with circular motions. Bastila's eyes flash consistently as the two red blades collided and sparked with each meeting.

Revan clashed his saber against his opponent's and kept them closed. The Cathar grit her teeth tightly as she tried to push her saber against his weight, yet Revan made certain to make that option impossible for her. His grip on his saber was tight and only tightened as he twisted the unison of their sabers closer and closer towards her face. The Dark Lord can admire the strength of this warrior before him. Fallen Jedi or not – she had potential like Bastila, yet her obsession with the Dark Side tipped her off balance and unfocused. Yet as their conflict carried further – Revan couldn't help but realise a sense of familiarity with this woman, he couldn't place a finger on it.

The continued union of their lightsaber's finally caused a spark which made it's way into the Cathar's eyes and hindered her sight temporarily, she squealed and Revan finally found his opening. With his free hand, Revan shoots out his arm and Force-pushed the fallen Jedi a considerable distance. Her lightsaber leapt from her hand once she was pushed and her back collided against one of the ancient pillars, making her let out a yelp of pain. She lands on the ground, fatigued and broken. She holds her abdomen with one hand while she supports her upper body off the ground with her forearm planted against the dirt. She turns her head and spits to the side before her eyes direct their attention towards the dark robed figure walking towards her.

With his lightsaber still ignited in one hand, Revan reached his free hand out and pulled the fallen Jedi's lightsaber off from the ground and ignited it. There, two crimson blades were held up to her throat, ready to remove her head from her body and end her life where she lay.

"…You are strong. Stranger." The Cathar groaned, "…Stronger than me…even in my darkness." She coughed after she strained those words from her broken body.

"If you value your life, you will release my accomplice from your grasp." Revan stated sternly.

The Cathar coughed once more and smiled slyly towards the Sith Lord, "You…I sense the Dark Side within you…why don't you undo it yourself?"

Revan crossed his sabers towards her throat. She swallowed hard as the vibration and humming of his dual lightsabers hummed within her ear.

"I will not ask a second time."

She narrowed her feline eyes and groaned. Slowly, she extends her arm towards Bastila and soon enough she releases Bastila from her frozen form. The Padawan collapsed to the ground, gasping and rolling. Gradually, Revan retracts the crimson blades into their respective hilts and kneels next to the downed Jedi. His eyes look through his visor and meet her yellow eyes, they returned her gaze – seething with hatred towards him.

"You are obviously Force-sensitive. You are obviously trained in lightsaber combat. You are a Jedi…what's a Jedi doing so far away from the Enclave and isolated in ruins such as these?" Revan asked in a mellow tone. The woman's eyes look up to the man's visor. Revan could feel that she too, felt a sense of familiarity with each other – to what extent, he did not know.

"I…am Juhani. This…is my sanctuary…my grove. My source of dark power. You invade my solitude stranger. Yet you present yourself as a force of darkness which exceeds my own power. You are strong in the Dark Side masked one – yet you do not completely embrace it as I have."

Revan looks over his shoulder to find Bastila still reeling from her static state. She lay dormant, coughing and breathing deep inhales as she tried to regain the movement of her joints. He looked back to Juhani and realised that her influence of the Dark Side did not come from thin air – it originated from an action, one that cut her deeply and left her alone to fend for herself.

"The Enclave." Revan started, "I believe we are close. Show us the way."

Juhani's eyes turned primal and her teeth were bared, "No! I cannot go back! This is my sanctuary! The only place where I can revel in my power!"

Her ranting soon died down as she held onto her stomach tightly and began to cough. Pain dimmed her fire and only then did Revan speak.

"The Dark Side can serve one in many different ways. Yet do you believe that every aspect of the world requires the Dark to intervene?"

"You speak in riddles masked one." Juhani spat, "What else can I do? Where else can I go? You invade my only station of sanctuary…uninvited…where am I to go now? I can't go back…I can't go back…not after-" Her voice began to break, sadness lingered behind her throat.

"…After I murdered my Master…Quatra."

Revan soon pieced together the Cathar's story. She was running, she was afraid, and she believed that secluding herself in the Dark Side was her only escape. This was the mentality of a clouded mind. This was the mentality of Sith Lords who consumed themselves in their ambition…this was the path of his former apprentice, Darth Malak.

"_Juhani _was it? Can you stand?" Revan asked as he put aside Juhani's saber and extended his hand.

"Finish me off stranger. I have lost. I cannot go back to the Enclave. I cannot be the Jedi I aspired to become. I have lost my Master. I have lost all _hope**.**_"

Revan paused but couldn't help but smile, "Hope. I once lost the meaning of that word." Carefully he turns his head and looks at Bastila as she slowly regained her breath and began to stand on her feet.

"If I killed you, Juhani. That wouldn't benefit either of us. Lead us to the Enclave. And perhaps...something may come out of this meeting. We need not be enemies."

Juhani's eyes scan Revan from top to bottom. She snarls briefly before she carefully climbs up to her feet yet groaned in pain as her body still retained in shock. She stared at Revan, remaining silent and simply nodded. Revan slowly lifts up Juhani's saber with one hand and inspects it.

"I hope you understand that I will be holding on to this for the time being. Forgive me if you think that I'm being prudent." Revan stated as he turned and walked towards Bastila.

The Padawan was standing with her hands on her knees, eyes wide and breathing steadying. She tilts her head up to find Revan standing infront of her.

"Are you alright?" The Sith Lord asked as he extended his hand.

"I'll live." Bastila groaned as she took his hand and allowed him to help her straighten her back.

"What did she do to me? I've never felt so helpless in my life. My head…my stomach – I feel unwell." Bastila said as she rubbed her head.

"One of the many forbidden techniques the Jedi Order refuses to teach the counter-measures of. It is a Force power which draws it's element from the Dark Side, hindering opponents while slowly draining them of their Force energy. You will experience discomfort, but these effects will subside in time. For now, Juhani has agreed to lead us to the Enclave." Revan stated as he clips Juhani's saber from his belt and provides it to Bastila.

She looks at the weapon, then back at Revan. Carefully – she takes it from Revan's hand and ignites the blade. Slowly, she waves the crimson beam of energy in several directions before allowing it to retract back into it's hilt.

"She is a Jedi? Why would she possess such anger and hate to turn her saber red?" Bastila questioned as she placed the weapon alongside her hip.

"She is a Padawan who supposedly killed her Master. Now she dwells here in solitude – corrupting the life around this place and seething Dark Side energy. The crystal within her saber was likely to have absorbed this tremor of Dark energy and as a result turned red. Interesting…" Revan turned after his statement and directed Juhani to walk infront of them.

"Lead the way. And do not even think about attempting to escape or steal your weapon back to fight – I assure you I will not provide second chances."

Juhani didn't answer back, instead she did as she was told and limped forward ahead of the Sith Lord and Padawan down the stone path and headed towards the Enclave. As Revan and Bastila followed her, the Sith Lord could feel the anger and hatred within the Cathar gradually subside and replaced with the feeling of remorse, sorrow and disbelief. Revan noticed that Bastila had sensed this too in her curious expression. The Dark Side energies were dispersed, in it's place…silence. The grove sits undisturbed once more.

**Shortly after, Jedi Enclave, Dantooine**

Juhani pointed with a clawed finger, "We…are here."

Revan and Bastila follow the direction of Juhani's finger and within the distance was the infrastructure of Dantooine's only bastion of Jedi training and knowledge. Revan folds his arms behind his back and hummed in frustration.

"Not a single ship in sight." He said with a low tone.

"As I said…not many visit Dantooine out of choice. And the Enclave rarely accepts new applicants and adherents for training." Bastila said shortly afterwards.

Revan stands motionless, rubbing his gloved thumb and index finger together consistently. He remains like this for several moments, the Dantooine winds swaying his cape occasionally.

"Then you may return." Revan finally said.

Bastila looked at him and arched an eyebrow. "Return?"

Revan nods, "I intended to find a ship. The Enclave was my best chance of getting off-world. Now that realisation has been brutally dissipated and I am left with no goals to pursue for the moment. You may return to the Jedi. Inform them of recent events. Inform them of my landing on Dantooine. Or try to take me to them, know that I will not allow that if you choose to take me."

Bastila shakes her head, "Revan…"

The Sith Lord growled, "Make your decision Jedi. Go or don't…arrest me…or don't. You are now armed with a weapon, I have informed you of several aspects of the Force which you have barely scratched the surface of understanding. Make your decisions Bastila. For no-one else will."

The Padawan narrows her eyes, "I will return. And I will inform the Council. But where will you go?"

"I have masked my presence. The Jedi will not know where I am…save you – as to the bond we share." Revan replied. "As to where I will be…I do not know. I suppose I will simply wait."

Bastila grit her teeth and looked at Juhani who was sitting on the ground staring at the academy, possibly contemplating what she was going to do – or reflecting on her horrendous actions and realising her monstrous intentions.

"I meant what I said you know. I hope you acknowledge that." Bastila stated as she directed her eyes back to the masked Sith. He turns his head and tilts his head slightly, unaware of what the Padawan meant.

"I truly do believe that you may be our hope of defeating Malak. Whether it be a lie, whether it be your true intention of destroying the Jedi, the Republic and simply continuing what Malak started…or whether you're truly compliant to ensuring his tyranny is ended, I believe you." Bastila said sternly. This surprised Revan considerably. He saved her from the destruction of his flagship simply because he was curious to what this woman had inspired within him – even then he was sceptical to believing what he had done was a wise thing to do, or it was simply a disturbance in the Force, or even the after effects of the console exploding behind him. But now, his curiosity was indeed peaked – and now he was certain that it was no mistake. She was special. He did not know why or how. But he knows she is – and he intended to find out why and how.

Bastila ordered Juhani to stand as she took her lightsaber and ignited it.

"Come Juhani, you must answer to the Council."

"I can't go back…" Juhani repeated as she limped hesitantly towards the academy, "I can't go back…I can't face what I have done…please….please."

Bastila felt heart wrenched. What she had considered an evil source of the Dark Side, she soon realised that Juhani was simply led astray. She was afraid, panicked – and inadvertently driven down a path of evil. That much she could understand, that much she could sympathise towards.

"Do not worry Juhani. We are Jedi. There is peace, no emotion. We do not believe in harsh judgement. You will be judged fairly. That much you can count on." Bastila stated with a soothing tone as they continued closer and closer towards the entrance of the academy.

"Peace…peace. Yes…yes. Thank you my fellow Padawan. Thank you. I think I understand. I must thank the masked one as well…he spared me. One consumed in darkness such as him…spared me. Oh…Oh Master…what have I done?" Juhani stuttered, realising her grave mistakes.

Bastila smiled, knowing what she had said had granted a fallen Jedi with a sense of reflection. Her smile soon disappeared as she turned her head and peered over her shoulder, in the distance a caped figure still stood over the grasslands, watching and observing her. Slowly the figure began to move, away from her direction and disappearing into the horizon. Bastila's eyes lighten and realised Revan was gone. Her only opportunity of accomplishing what she was meant to do in the first place, to detain Revan and make him answer for his crimes against the Republic and the Jedi Order, had slipped form her grasp. But what bothered her most of all, was that she didn't really care – in fact, she event felt a twisted sense of relief.

**Council chambers**

"Bastila…we cannot explain how relieved we are to see you stand before us. When we did not receive word of your strike team we feared the worst." A short Jedi Master introduced himself as Bastila makes her way further into the Council chambers.

"Master Vandar. Your concern is appreciated." She replied with a smile. Accompanying Vandar were other members of the Enclave Council, Vrook Lamar, Dorak and Zhar Lestin, whom they themselves had questions for their treasured Padawan.

"Volunteering yourself for the strike against Revan was reckless young one. You are not ready to confront a power beyond your comprehension." Vrook stated sternly, obvious that he was more concerned with the fate of Revan more so than Bastila herself.

"Calm yourself Vrook. Bastila must have endured much to return here. Tell us Padawan. What happened with the mission to detain Revan? Where are the Knights who accompanied you?" Vandar asked to calm Bastila.

"The mission was…unsuccessful Master. Those who accompanied me perished by Revan's hand. But Revan's apprentice, Malak had turned on him. He ordered his vessels to destroy Revan's flagship. I barely escaped with my life."

"And what of Revan? Is he dead? Destroyed? Missing?" Vrook persisted to squeeze every last bit of information she has.

Bastila paused. _Revan is here. He is on Dantooine. He could still be close by – we should look for him. _Those phrases constantly stringed through her mind and lingered within her throat. Should she alert the Council of Revan's existence? What should she do? What must she do?

"I- do not know. He must be dead." Bastila said hesitantly.

"His power is unprecedented. A disturbance in the force, a tremor or anything would have been felt if Revan had truly perished." Vrook stated in frustration.

"Enough Master Vrook. Revan is now not our priority. You mention that Malak, his apprentice had betrayed him. This is disturbing. Malak will surely seek to destroy everything that stands in his way, the Republic, the Jedi Order…everything." Vandar said as he brushed his chin.

"We must inform the Council on Coruscant, but for now we must convene on this matter. As for you Bastila, see to it that you rest, requisition yourself with fresh robes. You are now home." Dorak said as he bowed towards Bastila's ripped clothing.

"Thank you Master Dorak. But I regret to inform that I was disarmed with my confrontation with Revan. My lightsaber is no longer with me." The Padawan stated sheepishly.

"Not to worry, Master Zhar will leave the armoury open to you to construct your new lightsaber. But remember Bastila, the lightsaber is the heart of a Jedi. The Force is our ultimate weapon, but the saber represents what we stand for. Now please, rest. The Republic war effort against the Sith Empire will require your leadership in the following days to come." Vandar stated with a light smile.

"Yes Master. I understand. Oh, before I leave. What will become of Juhani?" Bastila asked as she clipped the Cathar's lightsaber off her hip and provided it to Vandar. With three clawed fingers, the Jedi Master clasped the weapon and hummed in concern.

"Mmm, Juhani. Fortunately we have found Master Quatra before she succumbed to any of her wounds. She is alive and is recovering well. As for her Padawan, Juhani has been taken to Quatra herself at her request. It is the way of the Jedi to ignore revenge and persevere through redemption. She will be taken care of I assure you. She was clouded heavily by her emotions. Such hatred leads to the Dark Side – her lightsaber reflects this fact. But the lure of such an evil presence is one we all must strive to resist."

"Very well Master. I beg my leave." Bastila said as she turned and made her way towards her dormitory.

* * *

**Jedi Enclave, Training Room, Late Evening**

Bastila knelt at the centre of the room with all the pieces of her new lightsaber settled infront of her. A warm bath and a fresh pair of robes had certainly calmed her body and focused her mind, and after resting on a soft pillow instead of the hard ground – Bastila had fully restored herself in an optimal state.

Her hands clench her knees, her eyes were shut tight. While the rest of the Jedi academy had fallen asleep – Bastila takes the initiative to reflect, meditate and construct her lightsaber in peace and undisturbed. While she sits in darkness, she readily calls upon the Force to do her bidding. Slowly, the pieces of her lightsaber rise in the air. The pieces eventually formed into a long hilt and remained centred infront of Bastila's face, carefully two blade emitters were locked onto both ends of the hilt. A yellow crystal rose from the ground and was carefully placed within the inner slot of the hilt. The matrix was in place, the crystal was stable, the emitters were locked on. Slowly all the pieces joined together, the steel shell of the hilt clasped together and established Bastila's new lightsaber.

Her eyes shoot open, her weapon glided softly down back onto the ground infront of her knees. With one hand she grips the comfortable hilt and stands up. She ignites her weapon, two yellow blades shot from each end of the lightsaber and resonated with a distinct humming of the matrix processing the crystal. Bastila smiles, a double-bladed lightsaber was not something she was used to – but her previous training with a vibrolance certainly provided her the general idea. She allows the blades to retract back into her hilt and clips it to the side of her belt, the weight of it putting her off at first.

Bastila could meditate here for hours if she wished, perhaps for the entire night. Infact, perhaps she will. As she prepared to kneel once more, the soft pattle of footsteps could be heard making their way into the room, alerting Bastila instantly and slowly turned towards the noise.

"Master Zhar? I beg your forgiveness but I thought it would be appropriate to build my lightsaber while everyone else was asle-" Bastila froze and her eyes widen.

"…Revan?" She whispered.

Standing at the doorway was none other than the Sith Lord himself, his hands folded behind his back, his lightsaber dangling from the side of his hip and his unforgettable Mandalorian mask staring at the young Jedi.

"Considering the fact that the Enclave Council has yet to send a search party scouring the caves and fields of Dantooine after me, I presume you did not tell them anything about me." Revan said slowly as he walked into the room and observed his environment.

"How…when did you- why are you here?" Bastila stammered in shock.

Revan paced around the room and discovered a compartment containing many different lightsaber parts and mechanics. Revan stared at these parts and called upon the Force to do his bidding. Slowly, all the necessary pieces for building a lightsaber were drawn out of the compartment, a blue crystal was plucked from one of the nearby chambers and drifted closely to Revan as he began to walk to the centre of the room.

"Call me nostalgic." Replied the Sith Lord. Revan slowly circled at the centre of the room where Bastila once knelt. She steps several paces back and observed what the Dark Lord intended to do. As Revan continued to slowly pace in a circle, the pieces of a lightsaber steadily fit themselves together like a puzzle. The blue crystal was obscured by it's container, the processor matrix and power core were in place – the hilt was covered with it's silver plating, at the end of the saber sat the blade emitter, covered over with a distinct accessory at the top where the blade would protrude from. There hovering beside Revan was a unique lightsaber built with his image in mind, the three talon-like extensions running from the hilt and sticking out distinctly across the end of the lightsaber.

Slowly, Revan extends his hand and clasps the newly constructed weapon and brings it close to him. His gloved fingers tighten around the hilt, adjusting the familiarity with his new creation.

"I've never seen someone, anyone…create a lightsaber with such precision and speed in all my life. I don't even think the Jedi Master's could construct their lightsabers so quickly even with all their concentration. But you Revan, you performed this in but a fraction of the time and the effort. Astounding." Bastila said in awe. Behind Revan's mask emerged a muffled chuckle.

Suddenly, Bastila feels her spine crawl. Her eyes quickly divert to Revan's lightsaber, an eerie aura of dark energy emerged from his hand and seeped within the blade. Shortly after the energy diminished and Revan seemed satisfied with whatever he just did to his new lightsaber.

"Bastila Shan…the Jedi who possesses a power most would kill for. You mastered Battle Meditation, and you said you would follow me to end my former apprentice's reign upon the galaxy. Do you stand by that?" Revan asked as he turned to Bastila.

The Padawan swallowed, lost for words. Soon she simply nodded.

"The Masters say he is uncontrollable – a greater threat to the galaxy than you due to his destructive nature. I will do whatever it takes to ensure a better world…even if it means following the Dark Lord to accomplish it." Bastila said confidently.

"I sense no lies in your words. The bond we share has developed tremendously in a short period of time, an uncommon occurrence between student and teacher yet even rarer in time spans such as ours. Our fates are now bound together due to this bond. Whether it be for the better or worse, I do not know. But I realise that we must stand together for whatever comes. You may not trust me fully, and I do not expect you to. But try." Revan patted his cape to the side, revealing the lightsaber which still dangled from his hip. His right hand reached for his weapon and removed it from his belt.

"There is still much I do not know about the Force. The Council refuses to teach me more…saying that any contact with the Dark Side will surely lead to being consumed by it. But how do they expect the Jedi Order to protect itself from a power they do not understand?" Bastila questioned.

Revan smiled behind his mask, "Indeed Bastila. How will they protect themselves?"

Her thoughts race through her mind. She did not care how Revan infiltrated the Jedi academy at this point, or how he managed to sneak past the watchers – she was concerned about the bigger picture. Every moment Bastila was near him she would constantly think, think and _think_. She craved knowledge, she wanted understanding – she needed the _truth_.

"The Jedi Order must adapt to survive. How can they expect to rely on pure teaching when countless of our ranks convert to the Dark Side anyway? The Sith Empire grows…with former Jedi Padawans and Knights forming the backbone of its might. That mustn't happen Revan…It must not!" Bastila yelled with clenched eyes and balled fists before she opened her eyes and found Revan standing considerably closer to her. She was taken back by his sudden presence but soon relaxed as he began to rub off on her. Revan remained quiet for several moments before he spoke in a soft and almost prideful tone.

"Now Bastila…you begin to understand. You begin to see what I see. The Jedi Order may view me as a tyrant and a hypocrite. The Republic may view me as a traitor. Yet they will never forget…" Revan holds both his lightsabers out and ignites their blades simultaneously.

Bastila's eyes reflected the crimson blade yet they quickly moved to the separate colour. Soon her grey eyes were dispersed with the reflection of a bright violet beam extending from the newly created lightsaber of the Dark Lord.

"…that I was a Jedi Knight of the Republic. Leader of the Jedi vanguard who had the backbone to stand before the Mandalorian invasion. Now I am Darth Revan, a contradictory to everything the Order and the Republic stands for. But why do they brand me a traitor and enemy?"

Bastila simply stared into the Sith Lord's visor and remained silent. Revan smiled and completed his sentence.

"…Because they know I'm right."


	6. Chapter 5: Change

**Ebon Hawk, Deep Space**

Canderous groaned and cursed beneath his breath as he hid behind dusty crates and supply cache's. The ship constantly turned and swerved as if they were consistently maneuvering through a wild asteroid field. As the ship turned, so did Canderous. The Mandalorian needed to constantly prep his heavy blaster against the ground in order to keep himself upright and even grab a hold on one of the stationary pipes to keep himself from being suddenly flung across toward the back of the room.

"Damn it! Can't they keep this thing stable for at least five minutes?" Canderous growled to himself. Just after he completed that sentence the ship steered to the right and shifted Canderous' blaster out of his grasp and slide across to the other side of the compartment.

"Shit!" cried the Mandalorian, followed by several other curses in both Galactic Basic as well as his native language.

Meanwhile at the cockpit of the Ebon Hawk, Carth sat within the pilot seat with grit teeth as he tried to constantly maneuver the vehicle through a clumped and tightly spaced asteroid field. Mission popped up behind Carth before nearly stumbling backwards as Carth drastically steered from an oncoming rock.

"Hey! Maybe you'd give all of us a warning before you decide to go flying through asteroid fields?" Mission yelled as she held onto the bar below the astro-chart for dear life.

Carth furrowed his brow, "Well Mission – it was either this asteroid field, or we go flying in dead space with no communication through a nebula storm. No really, by all means. I'm sure a kid like you would've loved to go sight seeing in a floating ball of dust and gas."

Mission sneered as she stuck her tongue out at Carth. Deciding that anywhere but standing was a good idea, Mission left Carth to the piloting as well as their lives at this point. As she made her way through the main hold of the ship while getting ready to hold onto anything the moment the ship was about to shift, Mission sees Zaalbar emerge from his quarters and growl heavily.

"Yes Zaalbar. It's a rough ride. Carth thought it'd be a brilliant idea to course through an asteroid field." Mission said with a weary tone. Once more the ship turned drastically and Zaalbar was knocked off his feet, with a throaty yelp – Zaalbar followed through with the sudden shift in the ship's movement and landed on his side with a hard thud. Fortunately, Mission had kept her hand close to the bolted furniture and the momentum forced her towards it – holding a tight grip over it and keeping her somewhat upright.

Zaalbar yelled a bloodcurdling growl as he struggled to stand back up to his feet as the ship continued to rumble and turn.

"Now now Zaalbar, relax. We still need him to fly the ship. And he can't do that if you beat him up." Mission said. Zaalbar simply returned a low rumble as his response.

"We all know you're just a big softie at heart anyway big guy." Mission replied with a smile, "Now come on, I suggest we go back to our quarters and hold onto something before we hurl."

Zaalbar didn't argue with that. The two companions staggered across the main hold of the Ebon Hawk and into their respective bunks. Meanwhile T3 made an effort to dock into the ship's terminal and perform maintenance checks; at least it kept it stationary and restricted it from flying across the cockpit and possibly shattering the windshield. Thankfully, the crew's despair will end soon enough as Carth could see an opening through the asteroid field and boosts the Hawk's engines towards it. Quickly, the ship zips through the debris and stationary boulders and reunites with the emptiness of deep space. With a sigh of relief, Carth wipes the sweat of his brow and taps the nearby intercom.

"We're clear of the asteroid field. It won't be long till we reach Dantooine now. Thank the stars for that."

In the distance, Carth's ears pick up the distinct pitch of Mission's joy.

"Woo-hoo! The Republic dropout didn't kill us!"

The man simply rolled his eyes and set course towards the empty planet while also keeping an eye on the Hawk's fuel deposit. It was depleting rapidly, they needed to dock soon – and by the Creator, Carth hoped that the Jedi academy that was set up on that planet had spare fuel reserves or something. A deep growl from the Wookie emerged across the ship, followed by a response from the concerned Twi'lek.

"No Zaalbar. We still need him to fly the ship."

"Graaaaawwwrrr."

"No Z. As much as I want you to 'hurt him just a bit', he still needs to fly the ship properly." Mission's voice murmured within the distance.

Carth sighed. He needed to get back to Coruscant as soon as possible; hell he'd rather be supporting the war effort against Malak's Sith Empire rather than taking these rogue tag-alongs to an isolated world. But the after-math of the Mandalorian Wars leaves a mark on it's adherents, for Carth – the war left an empty hole in his soul. Maybe he was judging too harshly, afterall – ever since the turn of Revan and Malak Carth has had little intitiative to trusting those around him. Mission and Zaalbar were no exceptions. Yet he felt as if he should go back out into the world and open up a bit more.

Carth knew that this wasn't possible. The scars of the war and the turn of the central Jedi he followed into that conflict had layed too deep within him. But a man can dream…if _someone _could convince him otherwise, he would be eternally grateful. Dantooine awaits. The Jedi await. The Republic was Carth's priority.

* * *

**Dantooine, Jedi Enclave Entrance, Late evening**

"I know you cannot stay here at the academy Revan. But where will you go?" Bastila said with a hushed tone.

Revan made sure to keep his guard up as the Jedi watchers could come around the corner at any moment. He carefully placed his violet lightsaber to the side of his belt and obscured it within his cape.

"There is a forbidden place on this abandoned world, not far from the Enclave. I aim to go there." The Revanchist stated with a bleak tone. Bastila noticed a more determined glare coming from his visor. He was searching for something, something out of realisation. Curiosity got the better of her. Like a young, foolish Padawan – Bastila wanders into subjects to which she has little understanding of. Yet like a good Jedi, she craved knowledge.

"This place…you wouldn't go there if it didn't bear any significance. What is this place?" Bastila whispered keenly.

The Sith Lord turned his head to face the Jedi. Behind the mask was an intrigued expression. "And what makes a Jedi so eager to discover this location?"

"I simply wish to learn Revan. I admit…you have intrigued my interest in the greater perception of the Force. To me you are still Sith, yet something about you is different." Bastila responded with lowered lashes.

Revan stares at Bastila for several moments before moving his head up to stare at the glistening stars against the dark navy sky. She wanted understanding? Very well, Revan will provide her understanding. Such is the circumstances, which led both Revan and Malak down the path of the Dark Side.

"Come with me." Revan murmured as he walks forward and follows a separate path diverting away from the Jedi academy. Bastila raises her brow and instinctively follows his lead. Through barred vision and under the cover of night – Bastila discovers that they had wandered off track from the pavement and into the dark fields. The hills around them felt alive, as if personified to overlooking them as they journey deeper down the path and further away from the Enclave. Bastila takes one last look over her shoulder. Through the darkness she could barely see anything, but she knew that the Enclave was out of sight, obscured within the hills and distance. The only thing leading her on was the faint movement of the man leading her.

As the two journey on for several more minutes, the path infront of them was illuminated by the dual moons set within the sea of stars against the pattened night sky. Their glare gave way to an improved scenic sight. Bastila could finally make out the figure of Revan slowly trudging along the path infront of them. Soon, they stopped – there down the hill stood a unfamiliar construction, one that appeared distinctively similar in structure of Juhani's grove. Bastila slowly moves until she stood next to the Dark Lord, both of them staring at the ancient relic abandoned by a long-lost civilisation. As Bastila's gaze lingered upon the building, she suddenly feels a pull towards her. The fine hairs along her back and neck stood up as she began to give in to the lure.

"You feel it don't you?" Revan asked with a dull expression.

Bastila turned to look at Revan. "What is that place? There's something in there…something foreign."

Darth Revan simply turned to face the Padawan. As usual she could never tell his expression behind that mask, but she can always assume.

"A forgotten monument. A relic of the past. Call it what you like. But what matters is what lurks within this desolate tomb." Revan concludes as he descends down the hill and toward the ancient structure. Bastila took a deep breath and exhaled before following the Sith Lord. As they approached the entrance, the feeling of unease and distant whispers continued to ooze from within the structure's ancient stones. Revan stands infront of the entrance and observes it with an attitude of intrigue and reminiscence.

"You've been here before. Haven't you?" Bastila murmured as she carefully observed Revan's behaviour.

"I have." Revan stated flatly as he placed a gloved hand against the scratched runes emplaced against the gateway of the ancient monument. Bastila could hear the subtle breathing of the man beneath his mask, trying to compose himself from base emotion – whether it was excitement, fear or admiration, Bastila did not know.

Carefully, Revan takes his hand back and removes his heavy gauntlet and reveals his unwoven hand and wrist for the first time. The Jedi simply observed as Revan waved his ungloved hand across one of the panels within the gate and watched in awe as the Force triggered it's mechanic and allowed the rest of the gate to disperse systematically until the entrance was completely open. Darkness greets the pair – the eerie whispers intensified as well as the shivers down Bastila's spine.

"This place…you mention it is forbidden Revan, why?" Bastila asked as she stood directly next to the man and peered into the hollow darkness.

"The Jedi fear it's potential. They fear it's potential corruption. I was the first to confirm their fears." Revan said as he clasped his glove tightly in his covered hand. Slowly the Sith Lord moves forward and enters the seemingly endless abyss.

"Revan wait. You must explain something to me-" Bastila said as she reached her arm out to stop Revan in his tracks. As her fingers shoot out and clasp around the Sith Lord's bare wrist – they both freeze in place as their minds drift to another plane. Revan feels as if he was being absorbed, a soft groan escapes from his mouth before turning into a curdling growl. Bastila's eyes widen, her fingers remained locked onto his wrist before her sight drifts into a blinding white. Their minds secede from their reality, their bond conjures their attention and aligns their consciousness together. Bastila could see everything. Bastila was seeing within the mind of Revan.

* * *

She did not know where she was. Shock still staggered her ability to move. A few seconds pass and Bastila narrows her eyes to focus on her surroundings. Everything was blurry, hazy at best – but she knew that she was amidst a battlefield. Her ears pick up the volley of blaster fire erupting behind her. Within the distance, artillery guns ring with the dissonant vibration of plasma explosions erupting shortly after. Her eyes widen as her vision clears, at her feet lies the stringed bodies of Republic and Mandalorian warriors dormant and lifeless. Not far from her position she could spot distinct bodies lying motionless while donning the distinct robes of the Jedi Order, their lightsabers situated closely beside their corpses.

Carefully, Bastila walks across this desolate battlefield; blood saturating the dirt with every step the Jedi took. Her eyes were isolated with shock, her jaw descends slightly with scenes of massacre and conflict happening around every corner. At one moment, she would see a detachment of Republic soldiers relaying information amongst one another as they traversed through a hastily-dug foxhole before being obliterated several seconds after by a stray artillery shell. Mandalorian warriors sweep across the fields only to be ripped apart by Republic military shrapnel mines.

A blaster bolt zips right past the Jedi's cheek, barely scraping across her cheek. Bastila quickly pats her waist down in search of her lightsaber yet it could not be found. With despair and confusion, Bastila looks around frantically.

"Where am I? Revan?! Revan?!" The Jedi shouted in every direction she could provide it towards. As she gradually paced forward, her ears pick up the distinct barking of orders coming from a Republic commander. As she heads towards the source of the voice she spots a frontline squad comprising of several Republic troops taking cover behind impulsively prepared sandbags while peeping over to discharge their blasters towards a Mandalorian detachment not far from their location. Alongside the frontline troops, Bastila could see the distinct figures of two Jedi Knights armed with their cyan lightsabers deflecting oncoming blaster fire and steadily making their way towards the Mandalorian invaders. Bastila continued to observe with shock as she realised who these frontline Jedi were.

The two Jedi suddenly leapt forward after they deflected the last of the Mandalorian's blaster rifle before they were prepped to reload. With speed and agility, the two Knights find themselves at the brunt of the conflict as they broke into the Mandalorian line and worked their lightsabers through the Mandalorian's armour and swiftly using the Force to counter the warriors who donned Mandalorian melee shields.

Bastila only observed the conflict from afar yet could not believe how easily these Jedi accepted war and violence with zero remorse. One by one, the sounds of Mandalorian blaster fire grew dimmer and dimmer onto the pair of Jedi Knights until there was complete and utter silence around them – only the humming of their ignited lightsabers remain. The taller Jedi Knight, clad with red robes smiled at his hooded accomplice and shouted confidently amongst the artillery and blaster fire that even Bastila could hear it.

"This area is clear Revan! Though the bulk of their forces could reach us at any second now!"

The hooded figure turned and retorted clearly, "We do not have the necessary manpower to hold them here Alek! We must pull back towards the outskirts of the City or else Duro is lost!"

"Agreed!" Replied the tall Jedi.

Bastila soon realised that she was amidst a vision…or a memory…she wasn't sure. Yet everything feels so real to her. The taste of dust and ash lingered within her mouth. The smell of blood and dispelled blaster munitions clustered her nostrils. Her eyes became teary from the constant midst of debris, scattered dirt and humid air. She had always heard tales of the brutality of the Mandalorian Wars, but for her to truly observe it first hand was something no Jedi, no soldier, no sentient being should _ever _see for themselves. Bastila watched as Revan and Alek return to their squadron of Republic troops, the look of relief and admiration upon the soldier's faces made apparent as the Jedi Knights return from their conflict unscathed and unaltered. Even at her distance, the Padawan could hear everything coming out of their mouths distinctly – just as clear as she could hear the screams of pain, the eruption of artillery fire and the burning of metal and bodies.

"Captain! We must re-establish communications with the City garrison. And find out where Surik is! Tell her she needs to bring her forces and any Jedi accompanying them to meet at the City gates – we will make our last stand there!" Revan stated clearly while his face was obscured distinctly behind his Jedi hood.

Bastila wandered closer and closer towards Revan's position. As she passed through the exhausted Republic troops who gave zero notice to her – she realised that she was nothing more than a spectator to events. Afterall, she was never present during the Mandalorian Wars – nor did she intend to follow Revan's path to war. She was always confident in the Jedi code and the wishes of the Jedi Council. Back then – she thought she knew that the Council knew everything and what was right to do and what wasn't. Now – she wasn't quite so sure anymore. After seeing Jedi die and rush into battle confidently as they contradict every line of the Jedi code, Bastila _just_wasn't sure anymore.

Bastila stopped just infront of the hooded figure of Revan. His Mandalorian mask coming into view as distinct as it was as his time as a Sith Lord. It begged Bastila to question what the significance of that mask meant to Revan, where he had obtained that mask and why he chose to adorn it for so long. Yet they were questions to be asked for another time. Instinctively as Revan kept barking orders to Republic troops and the former 'Malak' – Bastila couldn't help but reach her hands out towards Revan's mask and try to remove it from his face. Curiosity gets the better of everyone, but to Bastila – she wanted to see the face of the Sith Lord who betrayed the Jedi Order, to see the face of the Jedi Knight who took up arms against the Council's wishes and took off to war to fight for the Republic. She wanted to see the man behind that mask. She wanted to see the face of the _man _behind fear and hope.

Before she could do anything, the Republic commander called to Revan which caused him to turn around quickly and address his subordinate.

"Commander Revan! We're getting reports that the Mandalorians are deploying from the sky upon the City! There is no response from the city garrison!"

"What?" Revan questioned with fear lingering within his throat.

"And it's not just the capital. Every city on Duro is being raided from the sky! The fleet is not responding and Jedi Commander Meetra Surik is requesting that we retreat immediately!" The Republic Commander stated quickly and nervously.

Alek turned to Revan and provided his insight, "Raided from the sky? Then that can only mean one thing Revan…they're deploying their dreaded war-machines, the Basilisk droids. They're using the same tactics which allowed them to conquer a plethora of systems beneath their heel in the last few years."

"Then Duro is already lost. We've done all we can here – but we cannot win this war if we throw our lives away trying to stand our ground against the might of the Mandalorians and their engines of war. Contact Meetra, tell her to evacuate as many civilians and soldiers as she can. They will not be left behind for the Mandalorians to slaughter." Revan said begrudgingly.

The Republic Commander nodded and did as he was told. Shortly after, with little to no warning, Bastila hears the descending sound of meteor-like shapes rocket down towards her location. In the distance, one lands across Revan's frontline – a Mandalorian Basilisk War Droid standing proud and prepared for combat. Quickly, a swarm of Mandalorian warriors rally to the behemoth and begin moving towards the Republic line.

Revan, Alek and his Republic squadron stare in awe as the overwhelming force approached their position. Revan turned to his Republic squadron and barked his orders.

"Fall back! Now! Alek and I will hold them back as long as we can!" The two Knights draw their fabled lightsabers and face the oncoming storm. One of the Republic soldier's shouted towards them.

"But Master Jedi! What about you?"

Revan peered over his shoulder, "We are Jedi. We are only doing our duty for the Republic. Now GO!"

The Republic soldiers did as they were told, as they retreated back into the Republic line – Bastila noticed that every single one of the Republic soldier's turned to take one last look at the pair of Jedi who stood their ground where the rest chose to flee. From this, the Padawan realised the level of inspiration the Jedi Knight Revan had instilled within the men he served with.

"If only the rest of the Jedi Order believed in what you said my friend." Alek stated with a smile, his lightsaber held tight as the Mandalorian force was just running distance away from them.

"Then the rest of the Jedi Order wouldn't be so weak. To watch the galaxy burn due to pacifism and ignorance – one day things will change Alek. One day things will change." Revan said as he tilted his hood slightly forward.

"They're coming Revan. If we die here, we should at least make the end memorable."

The two Jedi take their defensive stances, the humming of their blades distinct and prepared for combat. Bastila wanted to reach out and help them – yet soon, the three present figures paused as they hear another meteor-like sound drop from directly above them. Revan, Alek and Bastila all looked up to see another Basilisk War Droid descend directly ontop of them.

"Move!" Revan shouted as the two Knights, even Bastila leapt backwards and allowed the war machine to plummet directly infront of them. A crater was formed with ash, dust and smoke expelling from the crash site. The Basilisk War Droid emerged from the site – with a Mandalorian Commander clad in distinct grey armour sitting on top of the weaponised combat droid. Revan and Alek take several steps back. Bastila simply watched with shock as she was dangerously close to the iron beast.

The Mandalorian Commander stared at the two Knights, specifically Revan before shouting.

"So the Jedi aren't cowards after all! Funny, I was wondering why the Republic hasn't crumbled yet!" He pointed his heavy blaster directly at Revan, "But you! I've seen you before. You must be the one they call 'Revan'! Now that is a name even a Mandalorian can respect! In fact – consider on behalf of the Mandalorian Clans, we acknowledge the Jedi Order with honour!"

"Seems like you're making a reputation for yourself even amongst the enemy Revan." Alek said with a smile.

"I will not allow the galaxy to burn and suffer under Mandalorian genocide. Save your honour Mandalorian – fight us instead!" Revan said through the filters of his mask.

The Mandalorian Commander stared at his mask, questioning where he obtained it and why he chose to wear it. Yet those questions in the end did not matter. Warfare was before him – a Mandalorian's true goal in life is to revel in the glory of battle, to obtain honour of oneself and ones clan, and to _Canderous Ordo _– this will be a battle, which will provide honour for himself and the generations to come.

"Prepare yourselves Jedi! For Clan Ordo! For Mandalore!"

The Basilisk War Droid obeyed the commands given by the Mandalorian warrior – it's rows of guns prepared to fire, they aim at the pair of Jedi Knights as they continued to stand their ground. Through Bastila's eyes, she sees the Jedi leap toward the metal behemoth, and the war droid's guns firing their beams. As the beams hit the ground – Bastila's vision blurred into a blinding white. She felt empty, floating around in the midst of her consciousness.

She wanted to say something – yet no words came out of her mouth. She wanted to move, yet her body did not respond. She wanted to see, yet all there was before her – was the whiteness around her. This was enough. She wanted no more of this, and Revan wanted her out.

* * *

Revan and Bastila both pull away from each other. The Padawan lands on the ground with wide eyes, her breathing intensified to the point where she felt like she was suffocating. Revan was pushed to one of the walls on the side, where he placed a hand over it in order to keep him standing. As the two regain their composure, Revan turned and glared at the Padawan with anger.

"Don't…do that…again." The Sith Lord stated clearly as he placed his armoured gauntlet back over his exposed hand. Bastila stared into the visor of Revan's mask with widened eyes.

"I- I saw a vision…of your past. The Mandalorian Wars, I never thought I'd see so much brutality, so much despair – so much pain, agony and death. How did you bear to cope with such conflict?"

Revan remained quiet as Bastila continued to steady her breathing and ending it with a hard gulp of her own saliva. The Sith Lord simply lowered his head and turned toward the corridor of the ancient ruins.

"We will speak of this later. For now…I think I owe you an explanation of this place."

Bastila slowly stands up and follows him. As they descend further within the ancient halls of the structure, the lighting changed considerably, her vision was open to a clearer aspect towards her surroundings. Soon, the pair come across an ancient droid to which did not appear familiar in design to the Padawan. As Revan approached the droid, it spoke in a foreign language which Bastila considered to be complete jibberish.

"{_I recognise you. You who proved worthy many moons ago, you bring another who is not of the slave species, nor is it one of the Builders.} "_

Revan spoke in simple Basic in response to this foreign language, "I have returned, yes. To reveal answers for my accomplice."

"{_You who has proven himself worthy. May enter. Yet your companion has not. She may not enter. This is the will of my programming.}"_

Bastila arches an eyebrow, "Revan, you understand what this droid is saying? This isn't like any language I've ever heard of."

Revan turned to the Padawan and replies, "It is a long forgotten language, belonging to a long forgotten civilisation. I took the time to study what little I could from forgotten books, relics, artifacts and ancient devices in order to comprehend this language. Even now I'm not too sure whether the translation is accurate."

"{_Your speech is impressive, for one belonging to a race that is not of the Builders. For this fact – you understood the puzzles laid out before you, and proved your worth to uncovering the Star Forge.}_"

"I am aware of my own history droid. But if anyone of us is to move on – I will need Bastila to accompany through those gates." Revan stated as his patience wears thin.

"{_She will not. I am the Overseer. The Builder's programmed me to enforce discipline among the slave species, I will also enact my authority to protect the Builder's legacy.}_"

Just as the droid concluded it's statement, Revan unleashed a volley of Force lightning from his right hand and fried the ancient droid's circuits, causing it to collapse to the ground and begin to smoke with discharged sparks. Bastila takes a step back as she had zero context to what had just occurred.

"Revan!" Bastila exclaimed.

"It will not allow you to pass. I simply conducted a trivial solution." Revan said as he stepped over the sparking heap of twisted metal and wires.

"There could have been a better way." Bastila retorted.

"Ah yes. Words and pacifism is always the answer is it? Like the Jedi Council who wished to remain neutral while the Mandalorians carved their way closer to the temple on Coruscant." Revan replied as he stood infront of a sealed wall, lined with ancient runes. Bastila narrows her eyes and didn't respond. The Padawan walked past the scorched debris and stood next to the man.

Like what he did to the main entrance of the ruin, he waved his hand and used the Force to trigger a similar mechanism within the wall, causing it to systematically disperse and give way for the pair to enter into a completely separate chamber. The smokey tomb-like setting of the ruin's inner chamber furthered the uneasy feeling which continued to reside within Bastila's gut.

At the end of the chamber, the pair stood before an alter which gradually split down it's centre and revealed a glowing chart surrounded by several halos of sparkling blue energy. Bastila simply stared at the chart with questions brimming within her mind, yet they were halted as Revan took the steps up to the alter and reached out towards it – claiming it within his fingers.

"The Star Maps..." Revan began with a hungry tone, "Relics left behind by the dominating civilisation millennia ago, the keys to finding arguably one of the most powerful weapons to have ever been invented in galactic history."

"This is a history I lack the context of understanding Revan. This…Star Map, I admit it is quite remarkable. But a weapon? Civilisation?" Bastila questioned.

"A race of intelligent beings who created these maps. The race who constructed that droid outside, the race who built the very foundation of the structure we are standing within – the Empire who founded and strived to create an engine of war and power. The _Star Forge_." Revan replied stoically as he secured the Star Map and committed it's contents to memory. As Bastila was about to inquire into what this Star Forge was, Revan already began answering her question.

"The Forge is less of a weapon, and more of what the name implies. It is a factory capable of producing millions of weapons, capital sized cruisers, combat droids and a variety of other armaments in a matter of hours."

"Is such a feat even possible?" Bastila asked.

Revan nods, "Such a power can unite or conquer the galaxy under it's master's whim. Malak and I intended to claim it to pursue our goals."

"You mentioned before…while we were isolated in the fields of Dantooine, that you wanted to 'open the eyes' of the Jedi Order, and reveal the hypocrisies of the Republic. You intended to do that through fear? Through the technological monstrosity of this Forge?"

"No Bastila. Opening the eyes of the Jedi and the Republic will unravel itself in due time. Yet the Forge serves several purposes. The Forge would have served as a deterrent for the Republic's military and could act as both a leverage as well as conquering force should they persist to oppose my Empire. But in the end, the Forge was to amass an army directed towards a different enemy." Revan concluded with a heavy tone.

"A different enemy?" Bastila asked, "You mean to say the Republic was never your concern?"

"The Republic was never my primary goal. On the contrary, I hoped to gain the support of the Republic, to make allies out of them – and if necessary, conquer it in order to solidify the bigger picture. After the Mandalorian Wars, Malak and I felt something calling within the deepest parts of unknown space, an overwhelming power beyond the Outer Rim which can swallow the Republic and the galaxy as we know it." Revan turned to Bastila as he said those words, diverting his tone and attention directly towards the Padawan.

"There is a storm coming Bastila. Everything I've done…everything I've strived towards – has been to prepare myself, to prepare the galaxy for this threat. The Republic brand me as a traitor. The Jedi excommunicated me. Yet they do not know of the ongoing war that will occur if I simply did nothing."

"Then why didn't you come back to the Order? Return from the Mandalorian Wars as a Jedi and alert the Council of this threat? Why did you have to turn to the Dark Side and become the Dark Lord as a consequence?" Bastila asked through clenched teeth, imagining the potential of a Revan who remained as a powerful Jedi Knight.

The Sith Lord scoffed at this statement, "And you would believe that the Jedi who returned from the Mandalorian Wars should be considered 'Jedi' again? We – the Jedi who accepted war and violence for the sake of the Republic and Order we swore ourselves to – can return to a path of pacifism and peace? You have yet to see war and conflict on a dramatic scale, what you saw in my mind was but a fragment of the despair that occurred during that hellish conflict. The War changed us all, not just the Jedi. Battle corrupts the mind. It breeds hatred and anger yet it also reveals the truth. That is something the Jedi Order refuses to see, to accept as a principle. That is why the Jedi Order will never defeat the Sith! That is why I aim to transform the Jedi Order and the Republic! As long as those fools on the Council continue to sit comfortably in their tower on Coruscant or hide in seclusion here on Dantooine, then the Republic and the Jedi Order as we know it will fall!"

Revan takes a moment to regain his breath. The fire in his words burn within Bastila's heart, which she in turn takes a moment to take a deep breath and process what has just been said. Revan paced from side to side and slowly grinded to a halt. He spoke with a softer tone, almost despondent in a way.

"We could not be the Jedi we once were, Bastila. We lost that title since we bore arms and placed our lives against the Mandalorian invaders. The Jedi would never accept us back fully, hence we claimed our new titles as Sith."

Revan brushed past the Padawan and headed towards the exit of the ruins.

"Revan…" Bastila said softly.

The Sith Lord shook his head and stopped in his path, "I do not wish to dwell upon this subject any further. I have explained my motives and Malak will work tirelessly to reclaim these maps and discover the location of the Star Forge."

"You mean to say it has yet to be found?" Bastila questioned.

"Malak and I were close. We had all the pieces; all we had to do was simply fit them together. But that all came to an end when the Jedi lured me into a trap – and I was betrayed by my former apprentice." Revan said and continued, "Fortunately, I am not a fool. Prior to the trap set up by the Jedi and Republic, I had transferred the Star Map data from Malak's ship to mine without his knowledge. All that time spent searching for the Maps, all that time spent trying to decrypt them, obliterated by Malak's ambition and greed. This has bought us time but we must recover the rest of the Maps before Malak does – for the things he will do with it's power will be unprecedented."

Bastila nods, "Which is why you are eager for a ship." The Padawan descends the steps and approaches Revan with a significantly more laxed attitude.

"If what you say is true, and Malak is on the verge of acquiring the Maps leading to this Forge – then the galaxy is in greater danger than what the Council makes it out to be. I do not care if it is against the Council's wishes, but I intend to follow you Revan. I hope I need not constantly remind you of this fact."

The Revanchist acknowledged her statement with a brief nod before making a remark of his own, "I have explained my motives, my goals and my desires. There is nothing else for you here in these rotting halls. I suggest you return to the Enclave, before the Jedi begin to worry where you have gone. I will remain here to rest. Come the morning, perhaps we may see each other. And perhaps the Force will guide a ship for us to embark upon to stop Malak."

Bastila wanted to say something but Revan had already returned to the alter which contained the Star Map and knelt before it. After several moments he remained still and silent, kneeling in a ruminating state. The Padawan followed the Sith's advice and decided to return to the Enclave. As she begins to leave the Rakatan chamber, she took one last look over her shoulder to see the vague figure of Revan kneeling before the alter and refusing to move. She makes a frowned expression before diverting her attention infront of her and begins to return back to the Jedi academy.

Bastila may never understand what drives one such as Revan, but then again – he was always unique in the ways of the Force, his skills with a lightsaber and his sharp mind for strategy. But Bastila could only affirm one thing – he was special. She felt that ever since her encounter with him upon his flagship. The feeling she had confirmed so long ago still lingered within him, growing and festering. The feeling of _hope _persisted within him, the _Jedi _within him still lived.

Yet for Revan, a powerful hope ultimately reflects a powerful despair. Emotions drive the base nature of sentient beings. Emotions breed desire, desire corrupts any notion of selflessness. A part of Revan screamed this selfishness – whether it be an after effect of the Mandalorian Wars or from his sudden realisation of the oncoming threat, his emotions continue to drive him. That was what bred the Sith Lord. This is what birthed the existence of _Darth Revan_.


	7. Chapter 6: The Beginning

**The Leviathan**

The helm of the Dark Lord's flagship was quiet, only the constant input of navigation coordinates and murmuring of it's crew members issuing orders to each other filled the eerie atmosphere. Karath stared down the overview windscreen of the ship infront of him – the void of space and glistening stars stare directly back at him. Accompanying the Leviathan were several Sith capital ships headed by other Admirals appointed by Malak who were much like Karath, experienced and well versed in the art of warfare and a tenacity for strategy. Yet Karath was a man Darth Malak took to understanding more. He was a veteran of the Mandalorian Wars afterall, a seasoned officer and one of the many bright minds underneath Revan's command while they still served the Republic.

Karath held his hands behind his back and continued to stare into the abyss of deep space. Not long after the doors to the helm slid open and entered a junior naval officer who approached Karath quickly and decisively. As the young officer approached Karath, he stopped just before him and stood at attention.

"Sir. We have answers." The officer stated. Slowly, Karath turned around to face the young man with an arched brow.

"Anything useful to report for Lord Malak?" The Admiral asked with an extensive tone.

The junior officer merely nodded. Karath places a hand over his chin and contemplates briefly before turning his attention back towards the young man and returns a slight nod, "Very well. Give me the details."

The officer leans forward and provides Karath with the information he gathered. As the explanation went on, Karath nodded occasionally and hummed with confirmation all the way until the conclusion of the young officer's statement. After he was finished, Karath simply dismissed the officer and watched as he hastily leaves the helm of the ship. As the young man approached the doors of the exit, it suddenly opened – introducing the towering figure of the new Dark Lord as his ominous presence was made known as he entered the helm with sounding footsteps. The junior officer took several steps back with widened eyes before bowing towards his leader. This was followed suit as every naval correspondent, ship navigator and Sith trooper that was present within the helm of the ship soon bowed before their master.

As Darth Malak approached Karath, he sensed a feeling of pride and shallow excitement emerge from within the Admiral's core.

"Admiral. I trust you have not been wasting my time. And you have something to report for me on the whereabouts of the Jedi Bastila Shan?" Malak growled through the aesthetic modulation of his metallic jaw piece.

"Yes my Lord. From one of our most recent victories with the Republic fleet along the outer systems – the Sith soldiers who have boarded the Republic Admiral's cruiser have detained a Jedi Knight who was acting as a bodyguard to their Commander. I was just informed by one of my subordinates that the Jedi is currently onboard the Leviathan and has the answers to which you seek, Lord Malak. She is currently within the detainment chambers and is ready for your…inspection." Karath said with great confidence, hoping to please the new Dark Lord.

Malak folds his arms and narrows his eyes, "And you are certain that we can rely on second-hand information from a mere Jedi?"

Karath begins to grow nervous, "My Lord. I have sent spies on several Republic and Jedi-occupied worlds in order to discover the one you seek. However they have turned out unrewarding. This may be our only opportunity to scour what information we have on Bastila Shan, after all my Lord, the Republic treasures her abilities deeply and will endeavour to keep her from harm's way."

Malak stares at Karath for several moments before humming metallically as his response.

"Very well Admiral. Come with me to the detainment sector. There is more I wish to discuss." The Sith Lord states as he turned and strolled down the walkway, with Karath following closely beside him.

"Have we secured the Star Maps as I requested?" Malak asked Karath as they continued to make their way towards their destination.

"Progress has been…slow. Lord Malak. Naturally the Sith Academy was purged of all of Revan's followers, headmaster Uthar has stressed that he will follow your will and attempt to scour the unused tombs of Naga Sadow in search of one of the Maps." Karath answered swiftly.

"And?" Malak questioned.

"Our embassy on Manaan are attempting to convince the Selkath to grant us permission for our expedition forces to scour the deep ocean. Even if they do not comply, I would request – my Lord, that we send some of the Dark Jedi, or Sith Assassins to undertake the task."

Malak nodded as they approached the detainment sector, "I will allow it. If the Selkath refuse us access to their waters, then you may send an adequate force as you see fit Admiral. Dark Jedi or not – I want _someone _to secure those maps quickly."

"It will be as you say, my Lord. It will take some time before our fleets rout the central Republic fleet in order for us to reach the other designated planets. But in time, I assure you – those Maps will be back in your rightful hands."

"Good." Malak said with satisfaction as the doors to the detainment chambers opened, allowing the Sith Lord and Admiral to enter. The Sith troopers who were stationed as guardsmen all stood at attention as the two men walked past them. Darth Malak and Karath approached one of the prisoner wardens and stopped just before him. The overseer stood straight and tilted his head up to face the towering Dark Lord as he asked him a question through his metal mouthpiece.

"Where is the Jedi?"

The warden pointed down a separate corridor where a column on each side displayed cells side by side sealed by a plasma shield to prevent anyone entering or leaving the condensed space.

"The last cell to your right, my Lord." The warden stated as he watched Malak and Karath turn their direction down towards the corridor and make their way down as directed. Once Malak and Karath reached their cellblock – the two Sith troopers standing guard just outside of the cell stood straight and bowed their heads towards the Sith Lord.

"Remove the shield." Malak ordered as he folds his arms impatiently. Quickly, one of the Sith troopers holstered his blaster and reached into his belt to produce a keycard. Carefully the trooper slides it across one of the nearby panels and the plasma shield dissipates, allowing Malak and Karath to walk inside the cell to visit their prisoner. Sitting at the centre of the room, bound in Force-restraining shackles was a young female Jedi with light hair.

The Sith Lord wasted no time as he tilted the Jedi's chin upward, seeing that she was heavily battered and tortured prior to his visit.

"How long have you been torturing this Jedi, Admiral?" Malak asked as he pushed the Jedi's face away and stood straight, folding his arms in the process.

"For as long as we've kept her in captivity. She gave us little information until recently. Supposedly – she murmured Bastila's name, yet she did not provide us a location." Karath answered.

Malak leaned closer towards the injured Jedi, her breathing was deep and heavy. Her nose was bloodied and her eyes barely opened.

"You've done well Karath." Malak began, "Such violent treatment leads to anger and hatred. And I sense that this one is perfectly imbalanced with such raw emotion."

He straightens his back and raises his right hand – the tendrils of Force Lightning emerging from his arm and channelling towards his fingers.

"You may wait outside Karath. I will squeeze this Jedi with everything she has on Shan, for as long as it takes." Malak chuckled. Karath bows his head and proceeds to leave the cell, nodding to the guardsmen to re-ignite the containment field – leaving Malak and the Jedi confined and alone.

"I…will never talk." The Jedi coughed with barely any life to her words.

"Oh…but it is always the wilful ones who break first. I sense your anger – the pain you endured by my troops once your were brought upon my flagship. You think your Jedi teachings will preserve you from such emotion, but there are ways to break a Jedi." Malak unleashed a stream of Force lightning towards the Jedi. She screamed in agony, to a pitch where even Karath and the guardsmen waiting outside could hear the desperate cries and pleas for Malak to stop.

Karath only closed his eyes and silenced the noise emerging behind that containment field. The Sith guardsmen – veterans of the Mandalorian War, also turn their heads to the side, trying their best to ignore the despair occurring within the cell they were appointed to oversee. Time passed when the flashes of lightning would eventually stop, only to begin again after a brief moment.

This goes on for several minutes before everything went silent. Karath turned to find Darth Malak indicate the guardsmen to lower the containment field. The Sith troopers did as they were told and allowed their master to be free. Malak leaves the cell and immediately turned to Karath.

"Are you certain Revan's flagship was thoroughly searched?" The Sith Lord questioned with a demanding growl.

"Y-yes…Lord Malak." Fear crept behind the Admiral's throat.

"Were there any corpses drifting amongst the wreckage?"

"Yes my Lord. Several of Revan's crew and two of the Jedi members who boarded his ship at the event of your…ascension." Karath stuttered.

"Was Bastila amongst them?" Malak asked, his tone impatient and rushing for an answer.

"No, she was not…you don't suppose…"

Malak shakes his head and growled in disapproval, "The fools on the Jedi Council allowed one of their prized weapons as a member of the strike team that boarded Revan's flagship. I knew the Republic and the Jedi were desperate. But I never thought they would descend to levels of stupidity."

The newly ascended Dark Lord paused for a moment and growled metallically, "I will not be the fool. If Bastila had truly perished amongst my attack on Revan then I want evidence of her destruction – she is too powerful and invaluable to the Republic's war effort to be left to assumption. Until I have evidence of her death, then she is still alive. Continue your search for her Admiral."

"Of course. I will send an excavation unit to the wreckage of Revan's ship to explore the matter further. Forgive me for my…ignorance, my Lord. But I am at a loss on where to begin this desperate search for one Jedi. With respect, if she did survive our attack on Revan's flagship, would she not be within Republic space by now?"

"Fortunately for you Admiral," Malak began as he narrowed his eyes in a condescending state, "I am patient. Revan had established a vast network of spies and Sith Assassins within both the Core Worlds and the Outer Rim, to which their loyalties now belong to me. I have also received word from these agents that there was implications of a Republic investigation on Taris regarding the search for Bastila Shan."

Malak waved his hand as he began to leave the detainment sector, "You may start your search there." He stopped suddenly and chuckled maliciously as he peered over his shoulder, "…And dispose of the prisoner. She has provided me with everything I needed."

Admiral Karath watched as the towering Sith Lord stormed through the exit and watched as the doors closed behind his back. Slowly, Karath turned his attention behind him, to the interior of the Jedi's cell. His eyes widen as the Jedi sat lifeless, her head lowered with her hair sprawled and dangling infront of her. Burn marks scattered throughout her skin, her robes slightly scorched and torn from the effects of Malak's Force lightning. If one was to observe ever so closely, one could see the smoke stemming from the Jedi's corpse and clothes. Karath turned to the two Sith guardsmen and nodded. The two troopers nodded back as they went inside the cell, removed the restraints and carried the Jedi's body to be shot out of the airlock, or incinerated…it did not matter.

* * *

**Jedi Enclave, Council Chambers**

"Where did you learn of this…Star Forge?" Vrook questioned with a heightened and concerned tone.

"It was amongst one of Revan's archives onboard his flagship. It revealed something called a 'Star Map', leading to it." Bastila answered, lying through her teeth.

"And you had time to study these archives while you were on your mission to apprehend the Dark Lord?" Vrook asked sarcastically and brimmed with scepticism.

Master Zhar interrupted, "Perhaps…Master Dorak should inspect the Jedi archives to see what we can learn of this, 'Star Forge'. Did Revan and Malak not seek something here on Dantooine? In those forbidden ruins not far from this very academy? Whatever this Star Forge is. It is something that was invaluable to them and something we must look into."

Dorak nods, "Yes. Master Vrook, perhaps it is unwise to discredit this discovery."

Vrook furrows his brow; "This 'Star Forge' is no doubt a powerful tool of the Dark Side. Are you suggesting that we search for it, without knowing the possibilities and the risks Master Zhar? Master Dorak?"

Master Vandar finally made his opinion known, silencing the council as he held up one hand towards Bastila, "Come closer child."

Bastila did as she was told. Vandar observed her closely, narrowing his eyes and noticing something peculiar about the woman.

"I feel…a strong connection. A force bond…tied to this 'Star Forge'. Tell me Bastila. Do you happen to have this 'Star Map' with you?"

Bastila nods, she presented the Jedi Master with a scanned format of the Star Map within the Rakatan Ruins in her datapad. She took this scan briefly before she left Revan to rest inside those ancient tombs.

The Jedi Masters stood in awe, observing the contents of the map. Master Dorak went off to the Jedi archives to discover any mention of the Star Forge while the other Masters continued to debate and bicker over their next course of action. This went on for nearly an hour.

The Jedi Council finally reconvened with Bastila continuing to stand at the centre of the chamber, heeding the Master's words.

"After thorough discussion and consideration. The Council has agreed that the Star Forge should be considered to be of paramount importance. With Revan gone and Malak now leading the Sith Empire – we cannot allow him to use whatever potential this Star Forge possesses to be used against the Republic." Vandar stated with a low tone.

"Then what is to be done?" Bastila asked.

The Council members looked at each other with stern expressions. Vrook, as usual, being the most stoic with a disapproving look brought upon his expression.

Zhar was the first to disrupt the silence, "We believe that you…Bastila…should spearhead the search for the Star Forge."

Bastila arched an eyebrow. She was surprised that the Council actually depended on her to seek the Forge. In fact, she was relieved. In a way – this was the Council's approval to travel with Revan in seeking the Star Forge and putting a stop to Malak's path of destruction.

"Masters…may I inquire as to why you chose me for this task?" Bastila asked cunningly, continuing to play the role of the naïve Padawan.

"Against _my _better judgement, we believe that Master Vandar's statement was true. We have felt something within you Bastila…a strong connection to something…someone. This connection is also heavily connected with the Star Map you presented for us. This ultimately leads us to believe that you should be the one to conduct this bold task." Vrook stated with that famously distasteful tone.

"The Star Map you provided for us reveals four planets. We believe that these planets contain the missing clues which leads towards the location of the Star Forge, possibly more Star Maps." Dorak mentioned hastily.

"We will notify the Republic about this matter. While Dantooine is a secluded planet with little activity, it would've taken several days for a Republic ship to land here in order to pick you up to begin your journey. Fortunately for you, a ship has docked just at the foot of our academy not too long ago." Vandar said.

"A ship?" Bastila asked with curiosity.

* * *

**15 minutes ago, Rakatan Ruins, Dantooine**

As Revan knelt at the altar, meditating and conjuring his strength, he could not deny the presence he felt nearby at the Jedi Academy. Even when lurking within the tombs of an ancient and forgotten structure, the humming of a freighter's engines came to life as they echoed dimly throughout the ancient halls. Revan stands up and realises his long awaited opportunity.

"And so the Force guides destiny wherever it goes." Revan murmured to himself as he begins to leave the ancient ruins and abandoning the location which started it all. As the Sith Lord finds himself breathing in the plains of Dantooine underneath a bright blue sky, he hastens his pace and begins to dash through the grass and the wandering Kath hounds roaming about the fields, shortly after coming across the Jedi Academy – where the Ebon Hawk sat proudly at the entrance of the Jedi Academy. Revan observed as the ship's entrance ramp had already been lowered, where a young man with dark, brown hair wearing a Republic-issued uniform accompanied by a Twi'lek rogue was seen conversing with two Jedi Padawans.

"Listen…I don't care if it's not customary. I just need to know if you Jedi have any fuel reserves stashed around somewhere. You guys have speeders or freighters that rely on a power source right?" The distant voice of the man could be heard.

The Padawans looked at each other briefly and told _Carth _and_Mission _to wait outside for a moment before turning back and headed towards Council chambers. Carth folded his arms and impatiently tapped his foot. The Twi'lek caught his attention and the two conversed for the remainder of the time they were waiting.

Revan observed the two until the Padawans make their way back outside to meet Carth once more, telling him to follow them inside the Jedi Academy, leaving the Twi'lek to oversee the ship. The Sith Lord furrows his brow as he wonders what these outsiders motives were on landing on a secluded planet like Dantooine. Yet then again, he had the ship he wanted – and he had to admit, it was quite the unique model which peaked Revan's mechanical interest. In the distance, the Sith Lord continued to remain – monitoring the Ebon Hawk and the young Twi'lek rogue with great interest, watching if any other event was to eventually unfold.

* * *

**Present, Council Chambers**

The Padawans introduce Carth to the Jedi Council, to which his sights were immediately surprised and shocked to see Bastila standing at the centre of the room.

"Bastila!" Carth cried as he ran over to the Jedi, "Republic High Command had feared the worst. Thank goodness you actually survived the destruction of Revan's ship."

Bastila gave the soldier a curious look, "I…appreciate your concern." Her eyes dart over to the Enclave Council, indicating them to make an introduction.

"Bastila. This is Carth Onasi. A highly decorated Republic veteran of the Mandalorian Wars. One might say he is a true hero of the Republic." Vandar stated as he slowly made his way towards the pair.

"Captain Onasi. I understand that your ship is ready and able for travel however requires fuel. While our humble academy does not have this resource in abundance, we have several reserves which can allow you to travel to the next available space port." The short Jedi Master said with a smile.

"Now that I know Bastila's alive, I can tell Command that they don't have to worry as much right now." Carth said with relief.

"However, as the Council has explained to Bastila – the Republic and the Order may be in great peril. As you may be aware, Darth Malak has assumed his place as Dark Lord of the Sith and has commandeered Revan's forces to further the war with the Republic. Now amidst this conflict, Malak scours for something darker, something which may destroy the Republic." The green Jedi mentioned with a low tone.

"Sorry. Am I missing something here?" Carth asked.

Vrook tutted and made his point clear, "We request that you accompany Bastila along with that ship of yours to find the Star Forge. It's discovery could determine the entire outcome of the war we are enduring."

Carth laughed, "Huh, hold on. I just came here to refuel my ship and report back to Republic Command. Now you suddenly ask me to 'perform a noble deed' right out of the blue? I mean don't get me wrong – I'm willing to serve the Republic, but don't I get a say in what I can and can't do?"

Vrook furrowed his brow and uttered his distaste for the Republic soldier, "Captain Onasi, the Republic owes you a life time of gratitude. Your skills have earned you such high praises and it is for this fact that the Jedi Council believes that you must accompany Bastila on her crucial mission. In fact, we are allowing you to requisition any help you can in regards to this task."

Carth takes a brief glimpse at the Padawan. Her grey eyes look back at him, neutral and uncaring. Carth lets out a deep breath and closes his eyes, murmuring something to himself before readdressing the Council.

"Why can't you just send a few Jedi Knights along with her, surely they might be more qualified than I am."

Dorak answers, "Sending an entire squadron of Jedi rouses suspicions. Malak is a powerful user of the Dark Side of the Force. It is unwise to alert him to their presence."

Carth grumbles and ponders on the subject for several moments. As these moments pass, Carth finally comes to a realisation, "If it's something so detrimental and important that the Jedi _Council _want me as a part of it. Then fine, I'll go with Bastila. But I need to be briefed on all this first."

Bastila finally chimes in, "You will be well informed once we leave Dantooine's airspace. We do not have much time before Malak discovers this Star Forge."

Carth rubs his hair and shook his head, "Alright…when are we leaving?"

"Soon. I have already assigned the fuel reserves to be pumped into your ship." Master Zhar concluded, "Bastila…if you need anything from the Academy, then you are always welcome here."

Bastila nods her head towards the four Jedi Masters, "I will not fail at this task. I will stop Malak and ensure the survival of the Jedi Order."

Vandar makes one more expression, "Juhani also wishes to accompany you, at her own behest. She nearly fell to the Dark Side, yet you brought her back within these walls and realised her own redemption. Perhaps it would be wise to bring her along with you – maybe see that her emotions are in line with our teachings. She awaits you in the courtyard."

Bastila nods as her response.

"May the Force guide you along your journey, and those who decide to accompany you and assist in defeating the enemy in these dark times." Vandar concluded – ultimately ending the Council's session, prompting Bastila and Carth to leave the Council chambers.

As the two make their way through the courtyard, they were met with the robed Cathar with bright yellow eyes prompting a solemn smile.

"We meet again Padawan. I wish to accompany you on your journey. The Masters have informed me of everything, and I wish to find redemption for myself and my Master."

Bastila greeted the woman with a smile of her own, "I will be more than happy to have you with me Juhani."

The Cathar Jedi's eyes dim as she looks at Carth, "Is…is he the masked one?"

Bastila turned to Carth and instantly replied, "No Juhani…he isn't here at the moment. But I will see to it that he will accompany us."

Carth arches an eyebrow, "Am I missing something here? Masked one? Is he another Jedi that's coming along with us? What happened to 'raising supicions'?"

Juhani was about to say something before she realised the look on Bastila's face, begging her not to say a word. Juhani soon understood. She felt the Dark Side linger within the 'masked one'. She knew that he was not a Jedi. She knew that the Republic soldier standing next to Bastila was completely oblivious to whom they were addressing.

"You are obviously not him. You lack a deep connection to the Force, compared to the masked one." Juhani stated as she takes her new lightsaber – fitted with a blue crystal, and keeps it within her grasp.

"Shall we make our way to the ship? I must admit that I haven't seen the stars or space in quite a long time." Juhani said as she leads on towards the entrance of the Jedi Academy.

As the three leave the Jedi Academy behind and find themselves at the very entrance of the Ebon Hawk, they were greeted by a vibrant and energetic Twi'lek branded with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"Hey Carth! Brought some new friends have you? Some Jedi came out the front and pumped fuel into the Ebon Hawk several minutes ago. I'd say the ship is ready to go!"

Bastila had alarming questions regarding this girl. Yet Carth had already begun making introductions.

"Bastila, Juhani. Meet Mission Vao. A rogue with a variety of talents who I picked up from Taris trying to look for you." Carth said as he extended an arm pointing at the gleaming Twi'lek.

"What's up?" Mission asked with a bright tone, "So what's the story Carth? They're coming along with us now or what?"

"Well, these two have a lot of explaining to do. But I need to ask you first Mission. You are probably one of the more decent slicers I can find on this side of the galaxy. Are you willing to perform a…'job' for the Republic?" Carth asked with the two Jedi continuing to observe the conversation.

"I mean…Zaalbar and I don't get a lot of action. Outside of the Rakghouls and sewer rats. I'm down to do it for a sum of credits, an opportunity to discharge my blaster, and maybe see the sights. Does that meet the job criteria?" Mission asked.

Carth nods, "Oh yeah…we'll be visiting quite a few places. And we'll probably be meeting some unsavoury people out there."

"Then I'm in. Oh and Z's coming along. Guess you found an excuse to keep us after all instead of dropping us off at the nearest spaceport huh Carth?" Mission grinned.

Carth rolls his eyes, "Alright, you made your point. Just make sure the ship's ready to fly."

Mission sighs and did as she was told. She disappears into the interior of the ship and makes her way into the cockpit. She stops as she approaches the main hold of the Ebon Hawk and calls to Zaalbar.

"Hey big guy! We've got visitors coming. I also gotta tell you about an opportunity Carth just gave me."

Zaalbar could be heard growling his response in the distance.

"Yeah! I'll tell you later." Mission said as she starts walking towards the cockpit. Suddenly a gloved hand wraps around her mouth and pulls her back, all the way into the supply room of the ship. Mission grunts and yells for help yet all that came out was a muffled scream.

"Don't move." A hardened voice murmured against the Twi'lek's ear, pressing a blaster pistol against her head.

"I can't believe a few careless punks like you managed to steal the Ebon Hawk right from under Davik's nose. Either you guys are good, or Davik's's too stupid to look after his own merchandise." Canderous growled quietly.

"You're gonna answer a few questions for me girl. Scream for help, and I'll kill you." Canderous removed his hand from the girl's mouth. Mission was too petrified to even resist, and complied to the Mandalorian's request.

**Meanwhile**

"Well we should start going. Closest spaceport is Tatooine. We can restock the Hawk's fuel tank fully there." Carth said as he took one step onbaord the entrance ramp.

"Wait." Bastila said, stopping the soldier in his tracks. "You can prepare the ship. There's one more person I need to get."

"Let me guess. The 'masked one'?" Carth asked sarcastically.

Bastila narrows her eyes, "Carth…you've served onbaord Revan and Malak's fleet during the Mandalorian Wars have you not?"

Carth arched an eyebrow, "Reading through my file? I'm pretty sure we just met."

"No Carth. Most Jedi have heard of your exploits during the War, as well as the history with it. I'm going to need you to trust me." Bastila made sure her words were clear and stern.

"I mean…I trust you Bastila, but I don't see what this has to do with-" He paused. His eyes widen. His body froze with shock. His pupils dilated as they stare past Bastila and lock onto the thing behind her.

"Carth?" Bastila asked.

She hears Juhani murmur something beside her, "He's here…"

Bastila turns to Juhani, seeing her eyes directed at the same thing Carth was staring at.

"…the masked one."

Bastila widens her eyes and turns to face whatever stood behind her.

Several metres away was the undeniable figure of Darth Revan, his distinguished cape fluttering softly to the side as the breeze carried it against the air. He turns his head and nods towards Juhani, he acknowledges the presence of Bastila, yet his attention was swiftly diverted to a source of seething anger and hatred.

Carth's jaw dropped, his hand shook as he reaches for his blaster and removes it from the holster.

"Carth!" Bastila shouted.

"He's…the masked one? No way. He was supposed to be dead. Malak's broadcast said he was dead. I'm just hallucinating right Bastila? Tell me that's not him. Tell me that _he _was not the one you were going to look for!" Carth shouted as his trigger finger prepped itself to be pulled.

"Carth, listen to me." Bastila said as she tried to calm him down.

"Listen to you? Bastila. The _Sith Lord _is standing right there…alive. I'm not sure if you're putting the numbers together – but the enemy is just walking distance away from you! Am I going crazy or something?" Carth exclaimed with a heavy heart.

"Carth, I can explain. There is a layer of context to which you have no exposure. He's on our side, Carth. I can assure it." The Padawan suggested as she slowly trudged towards Carth, ready to disarm him with her lightsaber if necessary.

"Do you know what this murderer has done? All the lives he had condemned? What he did on countless worlds?!" Carth screamed, taking a moment to pause. His tone drastically changed from rage to a fragmented and sad voice, "…what he did to my homeworld? I can't believe you're defending _Revan_, of all people. _Revan_. That mask still haunts me in my worst nightmares."

Juhani's eyes widen at the mention of that name. The familiarity between the Cathar and the Sith Lord was finally brought to light. Finally the peculiar connection which seemed unwavering was solidified and understood.

"Revan…" Juhani whispered beneath her breath, in a twisted sense of admiration for the Sith Lord.

"Enough." Revan commanded as he raised an arm and Force pulled Carth's blaster from his grip – allowing the weapon to fly into his palm and clenched it between his gloved fingers. With another arm, Revan used the Force to push Carth back – raising him up in the air and throwing him to the side, keeping him there against the side of the Hawk's interior.

"Revan! Don't!" Bastila exclaimed, turning her attention to him.

"Do not fret. I need not shed blood when it is unnecessary. However in this man's current case – he makes a poor defense for himself." Revan stated as he dropped Carth's blaster.

"And so the Force guides our paths together once more Bastila…infront of a ship no less. Hmph, fate has a funny way of brining it's adherents together." Revan said as he walked past the two Jedi and ascended the Hawk's entrance ramp all the way up until he was facing Carth – still levitating and pressed against the wall by Revan's will.

Carth fidgeted and struggled against the Dark Lord's grip, cursing through his teeth and clenching his eyes in an effort to try and break free.

"A soldier of the Republic." Revan stated as he observed the man's uniform, noticing the insignia planted against the side of his orange vest.

"Damn you!" Carth spat, continuing to struggle. "And damn Karath! Tell me, how is that Bantha shit doing? Still keeping tabs on that gutless coward?"

Revan arched an eyebrow, "Karath? He was one of Malak's senior officers. I do not see what he has to do with me. Your anger is centred strongly to him, yet you redirect that anger to me. Why?"

"Telos…" Carth murmured, "You gave Karath the order to wipe the planet clean didn't you?! When the world was begging for mercy, laid out before you and your fleets – you gave Karath the order to wipe them out. And that coward actually went through with it."

Revan scoffed, "You are mistaken. You are mistaken and you also misunderstand. Carth Onasi…your face and name is familiar. A fine soldier. A better pilot, so I hear. Perhaps you may be of use afterall."

Revan released Carth from the wall, where he landed with a thud. Carth cursed as he slowly got back up to his feet, eying the Sith Lord down with seething eyes.

"This grudge you hold against me is ill-placed. Perhaps when you are not trying to kill me out of some misdirected thirst for vengeance, then perhaps I may tell you of what had transpired on that day. But for now, there is work to be done. Malak must be stopped, my motives for now align with yours. Can you live with that?" Revan asked impatiently.

Carth takes a moment to think about it. His opinion on the Dark Lord hasn't changed. He goes back down the ramp to pick up his blaster and holsters it before walking back up to to Revan.

"This isn't over. You hear me?" Carth expressed with disdain.

"At this current moment in time. It is over." Revan replied paying no heed to the man's tone.

Carth turned to Bastila and approached her, "It's only a matter of time." He whispered.

"How long do you think he's going to betray us? Like he and Malak did to the Republic? He hasn't turned _you _Dark Side has he?"

Bastila rolls her eyes and begins to board the Hawk with Juhani following closely behind.

"I assure you Carth. He is genuine." Bastila paused as she takes one more look at Revan, who was already inspecting the interior of the ship. "…I can feel it within him." She finally murmured.

"Well I'm keeping my blaster handy. And for all our sakes – you should hone that lightsaber training of yours, cause if he ever does cross us , I don't think we can take him on." Carth replied as he makes his way into the Hawk.

Juhani looks over her shoulder to take one last look at the Jedi Academy, making sure that no Padawans or wandering Knights had taken a notice to the dark robed Sith Lord. But at the same time, Juhani takes the moment to see the Academy for what it was – a home she could find herself in, the only place where she could've called home. But now it seemed that her home has relocated elsewhere. The Cathar returns her gaze into the interior of the Ebon Hawk, realising her new companions.

The legendary Dark Lord of the Sith, a distrustful Republic Soldier, a brilliant Jedi Padawan, a naïve Twi'lek and at the corner of her eyes, a large furried Wookie accompanied by a T3 unit introducing themselves to the new comers.

"Yeah Zaalbar, we have a few Jedi coming onboard with us. And the guy in the mask? He's…eh, he's Revan." Carth obliged in a rather neutral manner.

Zaalbar growled as a response.

"So your people heard of him too huh? Guess they weren't exaggerating the 'mighty warrior' part." Carth replied, taking a good look at the masked figure and murmuring beneath his breath, "Yeah…he certainly was something during the Mandalorian Wars."

Revan approached the Wookie and looked up to the towering beast, admiring the creature's stature and aura of strength.

"Your kind is renowned for their raw power. I sense in you a radiating essence of this brute strength. I respect that." Revan said.

"Graaaawwrr, Gnuur, Grawr." Zaalbar responded.

"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Zaalbar. Your strength will serve well in the coming journey." Revan replied ever so politely, it made Carth nearly hurl.

"Alright, we'll get acquainted later. Right now we need to get off this planet." Carth stated in a hurry.

Bastila paused, "Carth…do you have another companion with you on board this ship? Besides Mission?"

Juhani and Revan also took to the time to feel the auras around them. Bastila was correct. There was someone else on board, one fuelled by anger and hatred – a presence which Revan had not felt since the ending of the Mandalorian Wars.

"No, it was just me, Mission, Zaalbar and this T3 unit that took this ship. Why?" Carth said.

Bastila draws her lightsaber and ignites her yellow blades, "Then you have an intruder."

Bastila, along with Carth, Juhani and Zaalbar – travel towards the source of this anger. As they approach the supply room they were shocked to see Mission tied up against one of the supply crates, gagged with adhesive tape and her limbs bound together which restricted her movement.

The Twi'lek's eyes light up as the group discovers her. She screams something out but nothing came out except muffled cries.

"Mission!" Carth exclaimed as he rushed inside the room trying to free her.

"Carth wait!" Bastila cried, reaching out for him – but it was too late. As Carth takes one step inside the room, he hears a clicking sound – the sound of a blaster pistol cocked against the side of his head.

"Don't move." A voice emerged from the shadows beside him. Canderous takes a step forward and points the barrel of the gun directly to the soldier's head.

"W-who the hell are you?" Carth mouthed with tension.

Canderous narrowed his eyes, "Someone who's wondering how the hell you took this ship. Tell your friends to lose their weapons, Jedi included. I know what they can do."

Canderous diverts his steel grey eyes towards the Jedi in particular, "Any Force tricks and I'll detonate a plasma round – you won't know where it is, and you can say bye bye to everyone standing here."

Bastila grits her teeth as she gradually complies with the Mandalorian hunter. She sheathes her blades and slowly places her lightsaber on the ground. Juhani does the same with Zaalbar following the movement by flinging his bowcaster to the side.

Canderous smiles, "Smart. You too hero." He said to Carth, causing him to remove his holster and throwing it to the ground.

The tension builds around the room, the Jedi were too scared to try anything in fear of triggering any detonation which could render the group as scorched corpses. Mission observed helplessly, eying the Mandalorian down.

"What do you want?" Carth breathed.

"Don't get the wrong idea hotshot. The last thing I want to do is kill you. Rarely worth the challenge. On the contrary, I wanted to thank you." Canderous stated with a dry tone.

"Yeah? Well you have a funny way of showing it." Carth replied hastily.

"Can't blame a Mando for being too careful. I needed to make sure you weren't random raiders like those Black Vulkars. The girl told me everything I wanted to know, but I strang her up in case – just to be safe."

"Did you hurt her in anyway?" Carth asked, immediately followed by an aggressive roar coming from Zaalbar after he asked the question.

Canderous glares at the Wookie before returning his attention to Carth, "No. She's fine. I just find it hard to believe that Davik would actually lose the Ebon Hawk to a bunch of youngsters like yourselves. That's earned my respect in itself."

"Great…now will you let me go? And get the fuck off my ship?" Carth asked with a hostile glare.

"Listen. I know my way around this ship. And from the looks of it, this looks like a fun group. I've been stuck on Taris for way too long, the Sith blockade didn't make it any better. Now here's what I propose. That Twi'lek girl, Mission – mentioned that you guys are going on some kind of perilous journey. I simply want in." Canderous said as he slowly retracts the blaster from Carth's head.

Carth narrowed his eyes as he takes several steps back, "And why are you so motivated to come along? I thought the Mandalorians wanted to keep a low profile after the War."

As Canderous opens his mouth to respond, another voice muffled by a mask makes himself known.

"You of all people should know Carth. That the Mandalorians are a culture bred upon the notion of warfare and honour." Revan said as he walks past Bastila, Juhani and Zaalbar and enters the room. Mission glares at Revan with a confused look, unaware of who this mysterious figure was. Canderous on the other hand widened his eyes as they laid upon the distinct mask of the Jedi who bore arms and won the War for the Republic.

"I'll be damned." Canderous murmured, "So you're actually alive. I'm not surprised."

Revan tilts his head, "The way I understand it, you wish to accompany us on our quest to vanquish Malak – that is what you are volunteering yourself for?"

"Vanquish Malak huh? Well I wasn't expecting something as ambitious as that. But hell, I'm down. As long as I can remind myself about anything other than Taris' backwater conditions." Canderous said with a hardened smile.

"Unflinching. Determined. Bold. As expected of a Mandalorian." Revan said as he nodded his head, "I think this one will be useful."

"Oh come on!" Carth yelled, "Now we're just bringing everyone we meet along for the ride? First a Sith Lord, now a Mandalorian who – for all we know could be a violent murderer or rapist?"

Canderous narrows his eyes, "You think you know a lot about us son? We Mandalorians aren't interested in mindless slaughter. We only revel in the honour of a glorious fight, which tests our skills. That is the way of our code and that is our way of life! Maybe if the Republic understood that, then maybe they wouldn't have been shattered during the initial years of the Mandalorian Wars."

Carth scoffed at the statement, "Yeah…'not interested in mindless slaughter.' Tell that to the burning planets and countless victims which still reel from your vicious acts."

"This bickering is pointless." Bastila intruded as she picks up her lightsaber and makes her way inside the room. Juhani picks up her saber and clips it to the side of her belt while Zaalbar immediately makes his way over to Mission and begins to remove her of her restrictions.

"Malak represents a danger which could potentially see the end of the galaxy as we know it. We cannot stand aside and fight amongst ourselves and allow this evil to persist." Bastila exclaimed, capturing everyone's attention – even honing the interest of Revan himself.

"For now…I suggest we come to a compromise. We need to set aside our differences, albeit very distinct and large differences – in order to combat the threat we face. Most of us have just met or known each other too little to trust one another. But that cannot stand as we embark on this central task. All of us need to understand each other, if not, then at least tolerate one another. Until Malak is defeated – that is all that I ask. Tolerance."

Carth glares at Revan and Canderous. Juhani sets her eyes on Mission and Zaalbar. Bastila glares at everyone surrounding her. Silence hung in the air and when Zaalbar finally got to the point where he removed Mission's tape around her mouth, the Twi'lek immediately broke the silence.

"That was a great speech. I'm down for this whole tolerance thing – but I'm also eager to know each and everyone of you." Mission looks at Canderous and immediately sours her expression, "…most of you."

Carth sighs as he pointed at Revan, "Yeah well you can start with that guy over there."

Mission arches an eyebrow, "So he's the Sith Lord you just mentioned Carth? From my knowledge of the Sith, why didn't he just murder us all right here?"

"He's Revan…Mission." Bastila said as she planted two fingers against the edges of her eyes.

Mission's jaw dropped, "No…way. Aren't you meant to be dead?"

Revan smiles behind his mask, "And yet here I stand before you."

"Yeah…the dark robes, gives you that sinister 'oh, I'm so evil' vibe." Mission replied with that humorous tone she was known for, causing Zaalbar to growl as a response.

"Wait. Z. You knew he was Revan before me? Since when?" Mission asked with a pouty face.

"Look we can get 'acquainted' with Sith Lords and Mandalorian murderers later. But for now, we need to set a course somewhere. Tantooine is probably our best bet – Czerka Corporation established a settlement there and is probably our best bet on refuelling the Hawk to it's full capacity." Carth stated as he begins to make his way to the cockpit.

"A perfect start." Revan pointed out as he leaves the supply room and approaches the central terminal standing in the main hold of the Hawk. Everyone gathers around to see what the Sith Lord was doing as he reaches into the secluded parts of his robes and reveals the segment of the Star Map, taken from the Rakatan Ruins. He inputs it within the terminal and it sprung up – revealing the glowing map with all it's blue halos of energy surrounding it.

"Tatooine is one of the four planets mentioned on this map." Bastila said as she continued to observe.

"Other Star Maps. Pieces of a puzzle which fit ever so perfectly together." Revan stated with a hunger behind his throat.

"Tatooine, Manaan, Korriban and Kashyyyk." Bastila said, finally decrypting what was revealed upon the map. She looks back and realised that the rest of her companions, outside of Revan and Carth, did not understand what it was they were doing and what it is they were looking for. Zaalbar watched in confusion, Mission had her hands placed on her hips with raised eyebrows, Canderous crossed his arms and did not follow what was put on display while Juhani tried to make sense of what the map was – failing in the process.

"Perhaps you should all sit down for this, it may take a while to explain." Bastila requested with a smile.

Revan looks at Bastila and sees her presence amongst the crew. She had a way of inspiring those around her, choosing a select vocabulary of words which can alter one's feelings. She does it so well, Revan had to admit. Whether it was her natural prowess or an effect of mastering Battle Meditation – it confirmed her uniqueness and her worth to Revan. He didn't want to believe it at first, that all of this within him was just a trick of the Force – a weakness forged by the Force Bond they shared. Yet it was genuine. In Revan's own way, he cared for her. The only one who listened to him besides Malak. While the rest of the Jedi branded him as a hypocrite, Bastila at least tried to understand. She even said that she would follow him out of her own accord; she must have mentioned that countless times to him by now. But Revan actually believed those words. The hope emerging within him calls to him everytime he laid eyes upon her.

That hope which constantly tugged at him ever since their meeting onboard his flagship. It was eating away at him from within, and he didn't know why. He knew that Bastila was the key, a key to an unknown door. What lies behind this door was what scared Revan most of all. Bastila was special. He couldn't stress this fact further. The bond they shared solidified this notion. As he watched her explain their quest to the rest who followed them, he silently vowed to keep her close – at least ensure her safety. She was a significant figure to him – how she will impact him, Revan did not know, yet it was something he struggled to discover for himself.

He feels the ship ascend from the ground. The motion of the ship turns and rockets into the horizon and leave Dantooine's airspace. The journey had begun. Revan's quest to save the Old Republic and the galaxy as a whole ignited through the engines of the Ebon Hawk.

The legendary Dark Lord of the Sith, a distrustful Republic Soldier, a brilliant Jedi Padawan, a naïve Twi'lek, a towering beast, a fractured Mandalorian Warrior who was but a shell of his former self, a Cathar Jedi struggling for redemption and a lively T3 unit find themselves on the path that would eventually be etched into the halls of history for the millennia to come.

* * *

**Malachor V, Outskirts of the occupied Trayus Academy**

The scars of the Mandalorian Wars was laid bare on many worlds. Yet none were more infamous and terrifying as the scars that were planted on this particular world many moons ago. A woman drabbed in worn Jedi robes was thought to have been seen scouring the scratched surface of this dead world. Many of the Sith Assassins who occupied the Trayus Academy at the behest of Revan would grow bold to try and find this wandering ghost – never to return. Darth Malak paid little attention to the stronghold Revan had established on Malachor V. Though the Trayus Academy was one of the many sources which turned both Revan and Malak to the Dark Side – Malak deemed it as a useless world, burned and scorched of it's prosperity after the ignition of the Mass Shadow Generator used to bring about the conclusive end to the Mandalorian Wars.

Eventually, the Sith Assassins abandoned by both Revan and Malak conducted their own practices, their own teachings – living off the Sith code as Revan once instructed them. The rumours of a woman appearing across the wastes and the Sith Assassins who pursued her were eventually written off as unfortunate incidents and sightings of Storm beasts lurking around the cracks and crevices of the scorched Earth. Yet the seeking of knowledge and understanding was a path many would consider a lure to the potential of dark energies.

Outside the dark and proud Trayus Academy, the rumours were proven to be true. A woman with dark grey locks hanging down her shoulders, dressed in the traditional garment of a Jedi Master with a hood obscuring the top half of her head set foot against the entrance steps, following closely behind her were the Sith Assassins who were presumed dead in trying to seek her out – only to be seemingly converted to aiding her.

As she approached the academy entrance, Sith Assassins who were not accompanying her suddenly appeared by revealing themselves out of their stealth generators, surrounding the woman and the traitor Assassins while drawing their Force pikes and prepared for combat – eying the old woman through their bright red visors. The woman simply said nothing as she placed her hands within the inner sleeves of her robes and continued to ascend the academy's steps, her Assassin followers accompanying her closely.

The armed Assassins lunge at the intruder, prepared to kill the old wretch for staining their sacred ground – yet power was in the hand of the beholder who studied it extensively. Without raising an arm or even a finger, the woman Force pushed all the attacking Assassins away from her and her entourage, knocking them hard against the walls and even some, cracking their heads against the angled steps of the Academy. She continues her journey without a word being uttered, until she stands at the very gates of the Trayus Academy. She looks up and observes the outer layer of the structure and silently acknowledges to herself.

"Ah. Now I begin to understand. It is no wonder you turned down the path you now walk, Revan." Her voice was calm, mature and emphasised the term 'wisdom'.

The old woman turns to the Sith Assassins behind her and yields her will, "You wish to understand what Revan has learned within these walls, I intend to do the same. Convince your comrades within this academy to assist me in this, or dispatch of them as you see fit. I do not care. As long as I have access to the knowledge I seek, then I may finally begin to learn."

The Sith Assassins nod as their response, heeding their new master's will as they dash through the gates of the Trayus Academy, and seek out the rest of the Sith Assassins. _Kreia _wasted no time. She wanders around the outer sector of the Academy and observed the etchings emplaced within the walls, ruined with Sith runes. The taint of the Dark Side lingered within Malachor's core, drawing those who stumble upon the dead planet and calls to those who wish to explore it's power. The dead planet roared it's insecurities and invited pain and suffering to those who would dare set foot upon it's scarred surface.

Kreia abandoned the Jedi Order shortly after Revan's betrayal on the Republic, seeking what imposed the motive on this act. Soon she discovered a faint idea of how Revan had converted to the Dark Side. She tilts her hood forward and places a hand against one of the Academy's pillars – feeling the dark energy surrounding her, the screams of Malachor V, the soft screeching of the magnetic field still lingering around the planet's orbit. The echoes of Republic and Mandalorian warships twisting and turning as the final conflict which occurred on this planet drilled within her mind. Pain. Suffering. Death. Soon, she feels the calling of the ancient Sith relics that were buried within these ancient halls – the same calling which she assumed Revan and Malak had heard during their time here.

Using the Force to guide her vision, Kreia removes her hand and places it back within the sleeves of her robe. She continues to embark deeper within the Academy, closer and closer towards a dark presence which continued to fester and grow as she continued.

Finally, at the very core of Malachor V was a sanctum, surrounded by large structures which resembled claws or fangs. Kreia approached the centre of this inner chamber and revelled in the brunt of the planet's Dark Side energies. The heart of Malachor screamed an overwhelming presence, imbued by the Dark Side – ravaged by war and death. In turn, this overwhelming presence empowered the old Jedi Master as she knelt at the centre of the room; beneath her was the glowing red circle that illuminated her figure.

Knowledge was power. Ignorance was a sin. _Apathy is death_.

Kreia absolved herself within this Dark power, knowing that the only way to learn, to truly _learn_, was to experience. Her white eyes grow dark and her fair skin slowly pales with corruption. The Republic and the Jedi Order has survived through sheer will and fortunate incidents. Yet Kreia realised that Revan was right. The longer she bathed in the presence within Malachor's heart – the more she realised the sensibility of Revan's actions. Through this newly discovered realisation was a larger discovery. Through the Force, Kreia hears the faint calling and whispers of a darker power. An evil which the galaxy has never before been seen or heard. The _true _Sith. Power unprecedented. A war to which the Republic and the Jedi are not prepared for. A war which they will surely lose.

"Now I understand…I _see _it now. I _see _it clearly."

Soon, the Sith Assassins find themselves within Kreia's sanctum – more abundant in number. They too seek to understand the nature of the Dark Side, to understand the teachings of Revan and his history. Now they see his old Master before them, following the same path Revan once embarked upon, seeing an opportunity to serve a new Master. A Master who may yet surpass both Revan and Malak. They crowd around the woman in a circle and feel the dark aura from Malachor's core and the Force energies Kreia oozed penetrate their bodies. Slowly, all of them knelt before their new Master.

Kreia, the Jedi Master who shouldered the responsibility for the fall of Revan to the Dark Side – was betrayed by the Jedi Order she considered to be whole. Betrayal.

Betrayal.

Deception.

_Exile_.

She had experienced all of these things, and now with her vision brought to a clearer purpose – Kreia will in turn impose these traits upon the galaxy when the time is right. She stands before her followers and ignites her lightsaber. This will not do. A green saber indicated the traits of a Jedi. She no longer held that title, nor did she want it back. Carefully, Kreia uses the Force to levitate her lightsaber infront of her face and slowly deconstructs the lightsaber until the green crystal was left alone by itself.

As the Sith Assassins continue to watch their new Master, Kreia bleeds her crystal with the endless suffering and dark energies surrounding Malachor's core, turning the once lime coloured crystal into a blood crimson. It was only appropriate. She steadily pieces her lightsaber together and ignites the weapon once more, protruding a bright red blade.

Once she stood a worrying member of the Jedi Order, now she was betrayed. Now she will enact her own will and her own philosophies which will no longer coincide with the hypocritical dogma of the Jedi. She will not be betrayed. Not again. Kreia will instead be the betrayer.

Afterall. _The galaxy needs its betrayers, especially in the times to come_.

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the long wait and any grammatical/spelling errors in this. I was kind of rushed to pump this out. But anyway, hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 7: Loyal Circuits

The trip to Tatooine was silent. Not a word was said to one another, even after Bastila had encouraged the concept of unity and cooperation, she soon realised that her words had ultimately fallen upon deaf ears. Carth was keeping his space within the cockpit of the Ebon Hawk, keeping no one company as the pilot with the exception of the T3 unit who would optimise the navicomputer. Mission kept herself within the starboard sector of the ship, where one of the crew's quarters were, Zaalbar occasionally making his way from the main hold to visit her.

Canderous made an effort to avoid everyone completely, especially away from Carth. For good reason too. Bastila couldn't imagine the distrust between the Republic soldier and the Mandalorian warrior, the fact that their eyes did all the talking to one another – each of them burning with a bloodlust which couldn't be satisfied until one of them has had their blood spilled. Juhani keeps to herself yet she was open to any who would visit her in her own space in a secluded room within the main hold. Zaalbar wandered around the ship from time to time, trying to find a bunk which could compensate his large stature – to no avail.

Yet Bastila had her worries towards someone else, someone more dangerous in nature and powerful in experience. As the Jedi slowly makes her way through the main hold and into the neck of the cockpit, she sees Carth working the Ebon Hawk's controls and diverting the navigation controls through deep space. Bastila passes T3 who beeped in an uplifting frequency at the sight of the young Jedi. She smiled at the droid and pats the top of its head as she moved away from T3 and made her way to Carth. T3 beeped and signaled one last time before leaving the cockpit and continuing it's maintenance of the ship's other areas.

"Carth." Bastila said with a low tone. He looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the sight of her.

"What is it Bastila?" He asked with venom in his voice.

Bastila noticed this hostile resentment and realised the reason behind it. It was because of Revan. Hell, everything was because of Revan.

"We need to talk." The Jedi replied. Carth could be heard mumbling something to himself before he responded.

"Give me a sec." Carth diverts the navigation controls and initiates the ship's prototype auto-pilot feature, allowing the freighter to drift on it's course by itself. The Republic soldier gets up from the pilot seat and turns to face Bastila with his arms crossed.

"Start explaining." Carth barked with narrowed eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" Bastila asked, taken back by the sudden request.

"You. _Him_. How can you trust him? You know what, how'd you even meet him?"

_Everything was because of Revan._

"Carth, I only wanted to talk to you about the mission at hand. Not about Revan." Bastila informed, slowly folding her arms in turn with a spiteful expression crawling about her face.

Carth shakes his head, "We can talk about that, _after _you explain why you're tagging alongside the enemy. I still can't wrap my head around it..." Carth observed Bastila more closely after saying those words, "…You said he hasn't turned you Dark Side. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Bastila groans, annoyed. "Carth. Your concern for our wellbeing within the presence of Revan is admirable and appreciated. I know it's a lot to ask right now, but I just need you to trust me."

Carth furrowed his brow with a reflection of Bastila's annoyed tone, "You see, that's where I'm having trouble. I _can't_. Not with Revan onboard. Every second I'm on this ship aware of the fact that he's on this ship causes me to turn my head over my shoulder just to make sure he isn't out to kill us."

Bastila sighs and leans on the side of the cockpit, "I understand Carth. Believe me I do. I didn't trust him initially. A part of me still doesn't. But-"

The Jedi paused, her eyes dimming and narrowing to the ground – contemplating. Carth awaits the answer to her sudden truncate sentence, while also wondering what had steeled her tongue.

"…He saved me. Carth. I don't know why he did it. I don't know why he wanted me alive. But if it wasn't for him, I would be obliterated into dust…or my body floating around in the vacuum of space."

"He saved you?" Carth asked, his tone relaxing slightly. Bastila replies with a nod before going into more detail.

"The mission to retrieve Revan was a disaster. I was the only member of the strike team left alive to oppose him – but he had me on my guard, nearly overwhelming me with his skill and power. But something made him hesitate. A new feeling emerged within him. Yet…before anything could be said – Malak gave the order to betray him, the initial barrage on the command bridge had knocked me to the ground, the last thing I saw was the floor of Revan's flagship before everything went black."

Bastila looks to the side and swerves a brown lock of hair infront of her face behind her ear. Carth unfolded his arms and placed them behind the back of the pilot's seat – keeping his body upright as he shifted his weight towards it. Bastila takes a moment to turn her attention back to Carth.

"Waking up in an escape pod in the middle of Dantooine definitely raised questions on my survival. But I was too weak to even think about it." Bastila scoffed after she concluded her sentence, "I was too weak to even hold my own against Kath hounds, I nearly died from those creatures."

Carth breached a smile behind his uptight exterior, slicing through the hostility and bring about a sense of humour, "Hold on. A Jedi. Overwhelmed by Kath hounds?"

Bastila furrowed her brow, "I was encumbered from my recent battle with Revan. I was also disarmed from my lightsaber by Malak's barrage."

Carth snickered, "Losing your lightsaber. Isn't that against the Jedi code or something?"

Bastila lifts herself from the wall, growing tiresome from this conversation, "No, it is not. Nor was it a laughing matter. I was going to die…I would've died, if not for Revan."

Carth's smile disappeared, "So he saved you. And you decided to keep him alive because of that?"

"We spoke. I was sceptical of him at first, but as we communed I realised that he had a greater purpose in mind. He didn't turn against the Republic to destroy it, Carth. He was trying to save it…in his own twisted ways."

Carth laughed in disbelief, "Save the Republic? The man nearly single-handedly decimated the entire Republic fleet after he betrayed us. The brightest minds on Republic Command couldn't match him in battle, he was too quick, he was unpredictable – just as he was during the Mandalorian Wars, and you're suggesting that he's trying to 'save' the Republic?"

Bastila's eyes lower slightly, "I don't know, Carth. He stated that he was trying to unite the galaxy against a greater threat, beyond the Outer Rim and the known galaxy. He said that the Republic would fall to this threat, hence he aimed to turn the Republic to realise the threat."

"So he becomes Sith and starts destroying our worlds. What a great communicator." Carth retorted.

"That was what I was thinking. I still do not understand how he thinks, nor what made him appeal to such a decision. But he told me, that the Jedi Order would never accept the Revanchists who followed him to war back fully. That they were in their own way – exiled." Bastila closes her eyes and placed two fingers against them, squeezing them gently while pondering Revan's philosophy.

Carth looks to the side and snarls quietly, "Malak's our main priority now. I can live with that. This Star Forge too. But I'll never trust Revan. Not after he turned his back on the good Republic soldiers who served under him. Not after what he did to my homeworld."

Bastila arches an eyebrow, "You never did explain your distaste for Revan. Telos was your homeworld, and the Sith fleet razed it to the ground, I understand that. Yet I feel something more to this, something more…personal."

Carth's eyes dim, he swallowed a hard gulp and his tone saddens, "I've spoken enough. I don't want to talk about it."

Bastila nods, respecting his decision, "Fair enough. I don't know if we should trust Revan. A part of me still doesn't. Yet another part truly believes in him. But if we were to throw emotion and trust outside for a second, Revan is no doubt one of our most important weapons against Malak. Think of it like this, what greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause?"

Carth sits on this notion and gradually nods his head, "Don't have to trust him, but use him instead? I can live with that."

Bastila smiles, "Now. I wanted to talk to you about the condition of the vessel. Would it be suitable for our journey?"

Carth looks around the cockpit of the Ebon Hawk and nods, "This thing is as good as it comes. It's no fighter, but it certainly makes up for in speed and flexibility. Once we refuel this thing on Tatooine then we can really start exploring the galaxy."

"Good." Bastila replied. "One more thing. Do you know where Revan is?"

Carth shrugs, "I'm making an effort to stay away from him. But it's a small ship. Kinda crowded with the amount of people we have onboard. I'm sure you'll find him, dunno why you'd want to."

Bastila nods and departs, leaving Carth to sit back within the pilot seat and once more operate the navigation controls.

The Jedi traverses through the main hold, noticing how Juhani tried to approach Zaalbar in an effort to establish a form of communication and understanding relationship.

"Kashyyyk. You are not comfortable telling me about it Zaalbar?"

The Wookie growled softly.

"I respect your wishes. The only home I've ever known was the underbelly of Taris…"

Bastila nods, at least some individuals on this ship were at least attempting to get along. She gradually finds herself on the west part of the Ebon Hawk, at the doorstep to the portside crews quarters. She initially peeks inside, hoping to find Revan here. She was correct. Revan was indeed keeping to himself within this secluded space, away from everyone else. She didn't blame him for this, she was aware of the tension his presence brings about whenever he was present in a room with others, everyone was aware of this infact. Yet as she moved in closer, she could see the Sith Lord kneeling besides the silver-clad T3 unit, working within the droid's interior with an array of hydrospanners and other utility tools beside him. Without even looking at the doorway, Revan was already aware of the Jedi's presence.

"What do you gain to accomplish by standing there Bastila? If you want to talk with me, then I invite you to talk."

Taken back, Bastila slowly walks into the room, unbeknownst to the fact that Revan was a bit of an engineer, a trait he acquired since he was of age to even take an interest in these sort of things.

"Sorry. I was just wondering what you were doing with this droid." Bastila said sheepishly.

Revan turns his head to face Bastila for but a moment, a simple glace from his mask was all she could see before the Sith Lord diverted his attention back towards the inner mechanics of the T3 droid.

"I'm exploring what makes such a unique droid like this one operate. This is no mere droid, you could say that it is truly one of a kind."

Revan twisted the hydrospanner within his hand and removed it from T3's core. He closed his panel and the droid sparked back to life.

"How do you feel? Better?" Revan asked.

"Dweet, brr, doo."

Revan laughed softly as he begins to stand up, "Good. Whoever redirected your programming to be friendly has done a superb job, though I may think that you are too passive as a consequence."

"Beeet, Zurr, Doo."

"Oh? The Twi'lek girl was the one who initiated it? Impressive." Revan said placing a hand over the lower edge of his mask, "Well, run along now Teethree. Come back to me or the Twi'lek if anything else arises, since she seems so capable."

T3 did as he was told and brushed past Bastila – on his way to execute his programming. Bastila arches an eyebrow.

"You seem to know a great deal about the inner workings of a droid." Bastila stated.

Revan pats his hands together and puts aside his tools, "I wouldn't call it a hobby of mine. But it's something I dabbled in during my youth. Yet it was put to the test during the Mandalorian Wars."

"I see." Bastila replied. They both stood there, staring at one another for several moments. Revan tilts his head and realised that Bastila was completely enveloped within her own world.

"Well? Was there something you wish to discuss?"

Bastila blinks and shakes her head, "No- Yes. Yes! Apologies, I was lost in thought."

Revan smiles behind his mask, good thing she couldn't see it too.

"I wanted to know a little bit more about…you, in general."

"Oh?" Revan questioned, "I'm sure I've told you enough while we were on Dantooine."

"You spoke of motive, philosophy and grand threats. I want to know about _you_." Bastila said with a stern expression. Revan could see the seriousness in her eyes, was she so curious to know about him?

"The Rakatan Ruins." Revan began, "When you tried to reach out for me and grabbed me – this is what props your question?"

Bastila nods, "The vision I endured. You experienced it as well?"

"Of course…I was there after all."

He turns around and emplaced himself at the centre of the room. Slowly he kneels and invites Bastila to join him. She did so, descending to her knees and meeting the cold steel floor.

"What do you wish to know?" Revan asked.

Bastila thought about it, she never really did plan out what she was going to ask him – only that she was curious about the general story and legend that was: Revan. She carefully extended an arm and pointed towards Revan's face, more specifically the mask. The Sith Lord observed her lean finger and was confused as to what she was suggesting.

"The mask." Bastila stated with a solemn tone, "We can start with that. What is it's significance to you? In my vision of your past, you still donned it during your time as a Jedi, why?"

The Sith Lord confirmed with a nod, he wasn't surprised. Many know the name 'Revan', yet there few who know what he looked like. His mask was one of the most defining features contributed to the Sith Lord. Many even believed that the mask was indeed his face itself. He was not surprised. He was not surprised at all. Carefully Revan placed two fingers against the front of his mask – where his mouth would sit, and begins to tap it in a slow rhythm.

"The mask serves as a symbol. It's origins, tragic. It's purpose, inspiration. It's significance, a reminder. Was there anything else you wished to ask?"

Bastila twists her face with dissatisfaction, "A vague answer."

"The mask is of little importance." Revan replied.

"And yet you still wear it." Bastila retorted back. Revan stared at her through his visor. Clever girl. Perceptive too.

"For now, what I've said should suffice and answer your question. In time, I may tell you the tale linked with this mask. Another time. Have patience."

The Jedi sighs, irritated with the concept of waiting. Yet she remembers her training and aims to control her emotions.

"Very well. I will wait. I have a few other questions in the meantime."

Revan now felt what it was like to be a teacher. Outside of Malak, he never formally trained or tutored anyone within the Jedi Order. Yet as he sits across Bastila, he feels as if he was staring into a version of him – still a learner in the ways of the Force, oblivious to the world around him and constantly raising questions. He remembers his time with his favoured Master, Kreia. Oh how he would constantly bicker her with questions, theories and practices. Yet she would always answer them, to the best of her expansive knowledge and to the peak of her overwhelming wisdom. Revan strived to follow that example, he strived to correct the flawed practices of the Jedi. While the Jedi continue to spout desperate doctrines in an attempt to keep their philosophies alive – Revan will not make the same mistake.

"On Dantooine, where we first formally conversed with one another in the cave. You showed me the aspects of the Force. How it was…_alive_."

The Revanchist nodded, "The Force is as it is. What of it?"

Bastila's eyes drifted from Revan's mask and down towards the floor. Her eyes narrowed and her hands balled into fists against her knees.

"I want to know more…." The Jedi said softly, almost a whisper, a murmur calling for attention.

Revan stared at Bastila and she could feel his gaze. This was most likely one of the more intricate scenarios, which bugged Bastila exponentially. The fact that she couldn't read the man's emotions behind the mask sparked many questions and many disadvantages to their meetings. She could never tell what he was thinking, what his emotions were. Revan on the other hand, could read her slightest emotion and make an assumption instantly. It made her think whether her Battle Meditation was enough to withstand the Sith armada had Revan remained as it's commander.

"And may I inquire as to why a devoted Jedi such as yourself wishes to explore the Dark Side of the Force?" Revan asked.

Bastila's eyes shoot back to Revan's visor and narrowed, "I wish to understand it. Everything. The Force as a whole, the Dark Side, these are things the Jedi Council refuse to tutor us about, diverting reason to fear of losing Padawans to the Dark Side's lure – to which they are anyway. I wish to understand the Dark Side, as you have – not become it's adherent."

"Bastila, you understand that in order to experience the Dark Side, is to succumb to raw emotion – hence rendering your teachings as a Jedi useless."

"I am a Jedi. We hone our emotions, we control them instead of allowing it to control us. That is our code."

The Jedi feels a surge of anger emerge from within the Sith Lord. It was a strong presence, one that inspired fear within Bastila's core.

"After what I have said to you on Dantooine, what you have seen of my past. You have still yet to understand." Revan stands up and rips his cape off his shoulder, throwing it to the side and tilting his hood further forward.

"To devoid yourself of emotion is to inevitably destroy yourself. The Jedi will never understand that. Nor will they ever understand it. They are blinded by the flawed teachings which have kept them alive out of sheer willpower. Yet will can easily be broken, turned and corrupted." His tone was deepened, filtered through his mask and tainted with disdain, "The Jedi speak of control, patience, serenity. Admirable qualities…to an extent. What happens when you meet these qualities with power? Greed? War?"

Bastila observed as Revan walked closer, crouching infront of her and mustering the two entities of the Force within each of his hands – much like what he initially showed her on Dantooine. Force lightning traversed throughout Revan's right arm and an aura of blue Force energy emerged within Revan's left fist.

"Conflict." Revan finally answered, crashing his fists together, dispersing the lightning and the blue energy. Bastila flinched as the two energies collided; it sparked a white light, which blinded her temporarily. "The Republic was nearly decimated by the Mandalorians during the War. And the Jedi Council still decided to do nothing, for the sake of waiting."

The Jedi gradually opens her eyes, her vision initially hazy yet cleared to the sight of the Revanchist's mask dangerously close to her face. Bastila leans back slightly, shocked to find Revan crouching so close to her.

"You will learn Bastila. To have a Jedi master Battle Meditation yet have her blinded by hypocrisy and weakness is the greatest mistake the Jedi Order has ever made."

Bastila remained quiet, her eyes widened from both shock and contemplation. She knew the Dark Side resorted to emotions; there was no denying it. But Bastila was a Jedi, their teachings continuously pounded within her mind – _peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony_. It was all she had ever learned from the Order. It was what she had aspired towards. But now, here with Revan – her world was crumbling around her. She didn't know what to believe, she didn't know what code to uphold at this point. She wanted understanding above all. But she wasn't certain whether she had the gall to make sacrifices in order to achieve this.

After several moments of silence, Revan stands back up to his feet and steps away from the Jedi.

"Revan…I-" She stopped. The Sith Lord had already begun hooking his cape within the upper hooks of his breastplate, just infront of his shoulders.

"To devoid yourself of emotion," Revan continued, "is to devoid yourself of life itself. Without emotion, you're no more living than that Teethree droid."

Just then, Carth's voice emerged within the ship's intercom.

"Tatooine's just ahead. We better get together and put up a plan."

Revan turns to Bastila, sighing deeply before condoning his tone and relaxed his posture. "Forgive me if I seemed…rash. We can speak of this later if you wish. For now, there is work to do."

Bastila simply nodded. She couldn't find the right words to say after Revan had preached his thoughts through anger. Yet in truth, she was internally puzzled. As Revan made his statement, no matter how much anger and frustration lingered within his words, Bastila couldn't help but admire him in her own way. She didn't know why, nor can she control it. There was something about him. The raw passion within his tone. The radiating power seething from his connection with the Force. It intrigued her beyond belief. She recalled her Jedi teachings, to calm herself from such thoughts. But it could only do so much.

"Come." Revan commanded, lending Bastila a hand to pick her up from the ground. Bastila clasps his hand, the scratched texture of his gauntlets meeting her soft palm. She stands to her feet and follows the man into the main hold. As they entered into the space, one could already feel the tension building within it. It didn't take long for all eyes to immediately divert their attention to the Sith Lord. Though they were inclined to trust him for now, they did not forget the fact that he was the Dark Lord of the Sith – a title which inspired fear across the galaxy.

Juhani's eyes kept their feline gaze upon his legendary mask, Zaalbar ensured that his distance was kept, and as Mission made her way from the other side of the crew quarters and into the main hold, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, swallowed a hard gulp and entered the space. Canderous was the only one who didn't think too much of the Sith Lord, though he held a feeling of both respect and challenging resentment towards Revan. The Mandalorian leaned against his heavy blaster and observed as both Bastila and Revan made their way to the centre of the hold where the large round console was stationed.

From the sounds happening outside the Ebon Hawk and the motion it was currently undertaking, it was safe to assume that they had already entered the planet's airspace and had already descended on one of Tatooine's space port, well – it's _only_ suitable spaceport. Carth sighs and stretches his arms before jumping to his feet and making his way towards the main hold. To his surprise, everyone had assembled – wondering what to do next. It was no surprise to Carth that Revan would stand out amongst this merry band of adventurers, taking his place infront of the console and inputting several codes into it. It revealed a large holomap of Tatooine's planetary structure; it's topographic nature as well as a detailed map of several co-ordinates integrated within the seemingly never-ending plains of sand on the desolate island.

Carth slowly merged with the rest of the Ebon Hawk's crew, keeping close to Mission Vao of all people – likely because she was the one whom he hung out with the longest. Mission looks beside her and up at Carth, nodding her head towards him. Carth nods back and even gives the girl a friendly smile before they both divert their attention to the Sith Lord and the large map displayed infront of them.

"Tatooine…" Revan began, "a planet of nothingness, heat and dehydration." Carefully, he enhanced the map into a secular portion of Tatooine's surface. He takes a step back and curves his cape to the side.

"You've been informed by Bastila of the importance of these Star Maps we seek. The Star Forge is a weapon of detrimental impact, one which Malak will use to spearhead his new fleet for total destruction."

"And you think we'll find one of these Star Maps in this desert?" Mission asked with a raised brow.

Revan nods, "I know so. Do not forget…that I was the one who had assembled them together, before Malak's ambition turned him against me."

"…Right." Mission replied coyly. The Twi'lek didn't take long before prompting another statement. "So it should be a piece of cake right? You know where these Star Maps are and you've been through the journey to collect them."

The Sith Lord inputs several more codes into the console before replying.

"That is true. Though Tatooine is a special planet. The sand storms on this planet occur rather frequently. The desert is vast and unforgiving. I have recorded the Star Map's co-ordinates yet the frequent disturbances can muddle the frequencies to pinpoint the Star Map's exact location. Fortunately the Star Map's location hasn't gone any where." Revan pointed towards the secular portion of the map.

"The map should be within this sector of the planet, not too far from Anchorhead."

Bastila steps forward and turns her attention to the crew, "Now it's just a matter of figuring out who will venture out and retrieve the Star Map."

"They will accompany me through the settlement and into the desert. From there we will determine the Map's location." Revan stated, his back facing the crew and his hands working against the console and triangulating the co-ordinates of the Star Map, his efforts bearing no fruit.

"So." Bastila continued, "Who would like to go with Revan?"

The main hold was quiet. Each person's head's turned to the side and lowered their eyes, awkward and apathetic. Bastila looked across the room, knowing that the uneasiness of Revan was the main reason why the crew was still and unyielding. She closed her eyes, honed her senses and took a deep breath. As she exhaled, Bastila's eyes shoot open and walks up to the console, until she was standing beside the dark-robed Sith Lord.

"Very well. Then I'll go." She stated calmly. Revan's head turned slightly away from the console. He could feel the hesitation within her words, the slight tremor in her voice – she still did not trust him, not fully, yet that will nonetheless have to suffice. He finished his analysis and turned to face the Ebon Hawk's crew, "We have no time to waste. If I must find these maps myself then so be it."

The crew remained silent. Yet it was unsurprising that out of everyone standing infront of him, Mission, full of vigour, full of youth and hungry for adventure makes herself known.

"I'll go." The girl volunteered eagerly.

"Two people should suffice." Revan said. "The rest should stay behind and guard the ship. We wouldn't want to be stranded on this forsaken planet due to rowdy thieves."

Carth uncrossed his arms and groaned quietly, "Well, while you guys go treasure hunting. I'll start pumping the Hawk with fuel, barely any left in the old girl."

"Then it's settled." Revan prompted as he crossed through the ship and towards the exit ramp, "Bastila, Mission, lets go."

Zaalbar growled deeply towards Mission. The girl simply shook her head and pats the Wookie against the shoulder, "Don't worry Z. I'll be fine. Besides – not everyday you get a Jedi and Sith acting as your bodyguards." She concluded with a wink. Zaalbar roared softly as a response.

Mission giggled, "I know Zaalbar, but I doubt Tatooine can be counted as a dash of fresh air compared to Taris. Don't worry about it. Just make sure no one hijacks the ship alright big guy? I'll be back in no time."

The trio approach the exit ramp and watched as it gradually lowered. The first thing the trio experienced was the gust of sand entering just beyond the ramp's entrance, grains of sand seeping gently into the Ebon Hawk's interior. Bastila and Mission shielded their eyes briefly while Revan merely wiped the sand away from his visor. As the ramp reached the bottom, they immediately trotted forward – finding themselves within the vibrant spaceport of Anchorhead: Tatooine's more significant settlements. It wasn't even fifteen seconds until a customs officer approached them.

"Welcome to Anchorhead potential customer…_not sure why you'd even want to be here_." The officer murmured beneath his breath, "Czerka Corporation is absolutely thrilled to welcome it's guests…after a few formalities of course."

Revan remained still, watching as the man approached him slowly until they were face to face.

"Say, we don't get many Jedi on this planet. Flashy lightsabers you guys are carrying." The customs officer arched his eyebrow towards Revan and eyed him from top to bottom.

"Though…_your _attire seems quite odd, if you forgive my saying. Strangely familiar as well."

"That is none of your concern." Revan answered flatly.

"Play nice." He could hear Bastila murmuring beside him.

The customs officer chuckled nervously, "I didn't mean to offend sir. Czerka Corporation prides itself on its hospitality. However, there are a few things we need to address. First, your ship is not on our list of planned arrivals for today. There is a docking fee for a hundred credits because of this."

Mission's eyes widen, "One hundred credits?! For what?"

The officer gave the girl an irritated glare, "Of course, once you've paid – we will offer trade services as well. As I said, Czerka Corporation prides itself on hospitality towards it's customers yet needs to have its expenses paid off."

Revan turned his head and looked over his shoulder towards Bastila. She returns his gaze with piercing grey eyes. With a soft hum of impatience, Revan turned his head back to look at the customs officer and waved his hand slowly across the officer's face.

"You will allow us to pass free of charge." Revan stated softly. The officer looked at the Sith Lord, groggy and losing his step.

"I will…allow you…" Soon he shakes his head, "Wait…what?"

Revan hissed, "You _will _allow us to pass, free of charge."

The officer groaned, as if he was in a momentary station of pain. Yet soon he opens his eyes and repeats Revan's request.

"I will allow you to pass. Free of charge."

The Dark Lord grinned behind his mask. Carth makes himself present, stopping just at the entrance of the Ebon Hawk and noticed the scene occurring infront of him.

"You guys still here?" Carth asked as he descended the ramp.

Revan's mind gleamed with another cunning idea, once more – he waved his hand and ordered another request.

"You will allow us to refuel the Ebon Hawk without a credit being paid. It is Czerka hospitality afterall."

"I will allow you to refuel the Ebon Hawk for free. Czerka hospitality afterall."

Bastila grasped Revan's arm, "That's enough."

The Sith Lord shot an icy glare at the Jedi through his mask. Meanwhile Carth merely shrugged his shoulders and paid no mind.

"We're not exactly abundant in creds right now. I was hoping to fill the Hawk at an affordable price without breaking the bank. Turns out Force powers are quite useful." Carth said with a smile. Bastila darts a hostile look at Carth, her gaze doing all the talking.

"Right…I'll just go get some fuel reserves while this guy pumps the Ebon Hawk up." Carth departed, leaving the trio alone.

Bastila releases her grip from Revan's arm, "That was an abuse of your power." She said righteously.

"And you would rather I had killed him right here on the spot for getting in our way?"

"No! Anything but that." Bastila replied. Revan stared at her, frustrated.

"Then what is the issue?"

"To exploit a man like that using the Force. It simply isn't right." Bastila explained, continuing to retain that awfully righteous tone of hers. Revan chuckled at this concept, mocking her in a way.

"You cannot be serious. Do you have credits on you? Enough to pay the absurd amount that was required by that man? Or would you rather he called Czerka security to swarm upon our location and force us to leave _their _spaceport?"

Bastila's steely eyes narrow at his statement. Once again, Revan places her in a position of doubt and questions her Jedi teachings. Perhaps Revan had indeed made the right choice. They had no credits to spare, not to mention the effort and drama they would have to go through if they admitted that they could not pay the fee for docking the Ebon Hawk unscheduled. Most of all, Bastila was just glad that things did not conclude into violence or bloodshed – she was still a Jedi afterall.

Revan shakes his head and makes his way into the settlement of Anchorhead, with Mission following behind him with admiration in her tone.

"That was amazing!" Bastila would hear the girl compliment the Sith with endearing eyes, "Is it possible to do that without all that Force connection stuff?"

Revan didn't reply. Instead he remained silent and goaded himself forward. They had a mission with high stakes, one they could not afford to fail. Small talk was not on Revan's list of priorities. Bastila takes one more look back at the customs officer – bewildered by Revan's Force persuasion as he was assisting Carth in fuelling the Ebon Hawk. Doubt ensued. It kept her thinking. It made her uncertain. It made her wonder. The Jedi turns back to see that Mission and Revan had already made it to the ports exit, swiftly she hurries her steps and caught up to the pair as they opened the gates and introduced a surprisingly vibrant settlement.

Anchorhead was about as busy as it can be. Yet it was mostly full of Czerka employees conducting a variety of businesses to off-world travellers. Many people of a variety of races would be seen, some batting an eye at the mysterious masked figure, donned in robes some would consider would belong to a Dark Jedi – accompanied by a Padawan and a young Twi'lek rogue. Revan knew what most of these people were thinking. Many have _heard_ the name Darth Revan. Yet the only ones who truly knew what he _looked_ like were the Jedi Knights and Republic soldiers who served under his command during the Mandalorian War. Now those followers had become Malak's servants – _Malak's _Dark Jedi, _Malak's_ Sith army.

"The heat is killing me." Mission groaned, shifting her belt and adjusting the leather holsters hanging beside it. "I don't know how you can survive logging that cape everywhere around with you. Must be a pain to shift all the sand off of it."

Revan hummed as his response. Yet something had caught his eye near one of the few non-Czerka stores across his view.

"According to the datapad, we will have to head north of Anchorhead and traverse through the desert and into the main heart of the dunes." Bastila continued, "Though we would be encountering the native population of this planet…that would be interesting." Soon, the Jedi noticed that Revan was steering from the mentioned course.

"Revan? Where are you going?"

"Guess he wants to take a look at that creepy looking droid over there." Mission answered, placing a hand over her hip. Bastila's eyes direct themselves to the general vicinity of where Revan was pacing. In the distance, her eyes confirmed a light bronze figure seemingly slumped in posture. Standing beside it was an Ithorian merchant calling to the people walking by in a deep and clouded dialect.

Revan approached the merchant and stands infront of him. The Ithorian looked at the robed figure and mumbled in his native language.

"{What is this? A customer I don't recognise? Perhaps you bring off-world money to Yuka Laka?}"

Revan paid the alien no heed. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the droid beside them.

"Why are you leaving this droid outside for the sand to seep inside it?" Revan asked, anger building behind his throat.

The Ithorian scratched the back of his neck, "{Well, Anchorhead probably wasn't the best place to set up shop. Not too many people walking in to do business. Yet for now, I was lucky enough to come across this HK-47 droid and decided to put it up for display – draw some customers in. Maybe even sell the thing.}"

Revan turned his head to face the alien, expression impossible to read. Yet it didn't take a genius to know that Revan was angry. One could feel his seething fury.

"{O-of course I tested every single function in this droid's capacity – even claimed that it could translate the native language of this planet, those…_Sand People_. Tested it a few minutes ago in fact. Perfect condition. No need to worry about the sand clogging its systems.}"

"It's memory." Revan asked quickly, "Has it been wiped?"

"{You seem very eager about this droid stranger. Of course I've tried to access its inner circuits yet couldn't seem to find any. Whoever built this thing, definitely knew what they were doing. Security was it's prime function.}"

Revan's lips parted into a light smile, if only he knew. It was then that Bastila and Mission had finally caught up to him.

"What is it that has you drawn to this distraction Revan?" Bastila exclaimed impatiently. Revan simply ignored the question.

"Lets discuss the price."

"{Solid machine like this. Wouldn't let it go for less than five thousand credits.}"

Mission's eyes widen and her jaw drops, "Ok…wait. What?! Hey, Sith Lord – don't tell me you're about to buy this…" Mission's eyes trail towards the HK unit with an uncomfortable look of disdain, "…rust bucket. For five big ones!"

Revan simply stared at the Ithorian and replied, "The droid is _mine_. I'm certain an individual of commerce like yourself would understand the prospect of ownership and the concept of bartering?"

The merchant simply shakes his head, "{Unfortunately, the prospect of ownership isn't a legal document proving your legitimate ownership. Five thousand.}"

Revan had enough. He did not have the time nor the patience to discuss anymore of this nonsense. The droid was his, and it is his right to claim it one way or another. Revan waved his arm out, "You will provide the droid to me."

Like the customs officer, the Ithorian grew groggy. The alien was stronger willed, had a tolerant and resilient mind. Yet Revan persisted and eventually, the merchant complied.

"{I will provide the droid to you.}"

"Excellent." Revan gleamed with satisfaction.

Bastila sighed, "Now will you explain the significance of this droid?"

The Dark Lord stood infront of the HK unit and looked up to its faceplate, "Protocol activation. Seven, five, dash, seven, eight, four."

The HK-47 unit ignited. It's systems primed and willing to serve his new master.

"Greeting: Hello to you, Master. I see that you have activated my ignition code." The droid tilts it's head slightly as it's photoreceptors lock onto Revan's mask, "Query: Master. It would seem that my memory core is reacting abnormally to the sight of you. Is it possible that we have been acquainted before?"

"Memory data seems to be mostly intact. Yet some of it needs to be restored. Good thing I always place a contingency in my creations." Revan takes a step forward towards the droid, "HK. Input recall module command: Restoration console activation, codeword: _meatbag_."

Mission and Bastila simply looked at each other in both awe and confusion, having next to zero context on the significance and the purpose this HK unit possessed for Revan. Not to mention the confirmed history the two clearly have.

HK-47 temporarily shut down, before suddenly it's red processors ignite once more and scan it's environment. The droid tilts it's head down and scanned Revan.

"Observation: Oh Master. It has been far too long since I've seen you."

The Sith Lord smiled, "A lot must have happened to you since I've sent you away on those assignments. The majority of your memories have been restored HK, but we might need to work on repairing your inner core just to be safe."

"Statement: Nothing would make me happier Master, to serve by your side once more." The droid shifts it's attention to Bastila, then to Mission. "Query: And who are these revolting meatbags at your side?"

Bastila and Mission gazed at the droid in annoyance. "Meatbags?" Mission exclaimed.

"Explanation: Yes. Meatbags. A term serving as the alternative, and appropriate, address to…'organics' such as yourselves."

It was clear that HK did not make the better of first impressions. Revan stepped forward and affirmed both the droid and his companions that the bickering needed to stop.

"They are accomplices HK. But for now, we are seeking the Star Map on this planet. I would appreciate it if you would assist us in this matter."

HK turned its head, "Statement: Why master Revan, I was built to serve. Just point me the direction and my blaster will follow." It didn't take long for HK to reveal his personalised disruptor rifle from seemingly out of nowhere; keeping the heavily modified weapon in both his metallic hands. An assassin droid indeed.

"Assassination protocol initiated. _This should be fun_."

* * *

**10 Minutes later**

It wasn't long until Revan's party had found themselves within the deeper parts of Tatooine's desert. Both Bastila and Mission made an effort to keep their distance from the slim and tall assassination droid – it's mere presence gave off the feeling of death.

"That droid gives me the creeps." Mission murmured to the Jedi. Bastila only smirked, "I don't like it either. Yet Revan insisted that we allow it to accompany us."

"An assassination droid…didn't even know someone could program such a function in a droid. I mean, look at Teethree – harmless little guy." The Twi'lek continued. "But this 'HK', he certainly doesn't look harmless."

"Most assassin droids are disguised to be harmless Mission. Some as protocol droids, some as simple bartenders. What makes them dangerous is their ability to play their role well. Though this HK unit seems to be unique in nature." Bastila chuckled, "Afterall…it was built by Revan."

Mission glares at Bastila with a solemn sense of admiration for the Jedi. Bastila noticed this, she could feel the girl's gaze and felt the emotions travelling along with it.

"You know, I've never seen a Jedi up close before I went with Carth to Dantooine. You guys do some pretty crazy stuff."

Bastila looks at Mission, providing her with a genuine smile. "Well, the Force is what gives us our abilities. Our 'power'. If you will."

"What I would give to have a lightsaber. I'd probably cut off my own fingers before I even know how to use it. But damn, imagine the fun you would have with it." Mission said brightly.

Bastila rolls her eyes and giggles at the notion, "We Jedi use it only when we have to. We don't approach conflict willingly, it contradicts with our code – and it leads to the Dark Side."

Bastila furrows her brow, "Taris wasn't a great place to grow up in. But I did quite a bit of reading…or read what I could find at least. I read that back then, during the War. A group of Jedi took up and left for the frontline to fight the Mandalorians. Sounds like they were willing to run into conflict if you ask me."

The Jedi gives Mission a curious look, "And look at them now…Dark Jedi, serving the whim of the Sith."

Mission shrugged, "What about Revan?" She pointed. Bastila looked at the front, Revan was leading them, trudging through the deep sand and occupied with the datapad he held in his hand – trying to make sense of the jumbled coordinates and disturbed frequencies caused by nearby sandstorms.

"Revan led these Jedi, true. Yet nevertheless, he became the Dark Lord and waged a war against the Republic he swore to defend. For a Jedi to succumb to his or her emotions is a dangerous notion, it breeds hatred, and hatred is the premonition of war."

"So I've heard…" Mission said hesitantly, "But now he's here…with us, doing the right thing."

Right. What even was the definition of that word? What context should be utilised in order to truly discover the appropriate usage of it?

The Twi'lek continued, shifting her tone to a lower and gradual setting. "I've always thought the Sith were mindless killers. I thought Darth Revan was the worst of them all, being the leader and all that. But so far, he hasn't killed us all. He's helping us if anything. To stop Malak, stop the Sith. Where's the evil in that?"

"And have you wondered _why_ he is helping us?" Bastila asked.

"Revenge? Note of pride? I dunno. Carth told me he was a selfish bastard, easy to betray those who follow him. But considering that, Carth is a pretty biased source of information."

Bastila marvelled at the surprising pace to which this mere child could process and explain the information provided to her. Most girls her age wouldn't even touch upon the topic of a Sith's purpose, most would just nod ahead and believe it as they see or hear it. Yet Mission was different, she had an open mind, one built upon personal experience. It was refreshing in a way.

"What about you Mission? Why are you even here with us? From what I know you have no reason to stop Malak, to find the Star Maps and reveal the location of the Star Forge. Why bother? You could be free, live your youth away from this dangerous responsibility."

Mission takes a moment to spit off to the side, getting rid of the sand lingering within her mouth. "To be honest, Carth thought it'd be useful to keep me around when he agreed to help you with this whole quest. Asked me what it would take to keep me around. Huh, told him that a hefty sum of creds from the Republic and a chance to shoot something would just about do it."

"And did it?"

Mission shook her head, amused. "Would be a nice bonus. But no. I was onboard for more selfish reasons."

Bastila glanced at Mission, intrigued.

"I agreed because I simply wanted to meet new people. That's it. For a long time it was just me and Zaalbar against Taris. And believe me, Taris was a hell hole."

Bastila smirked. She was expecting a much more sinister response, yet to meet new people? No one would blame her.

"Don't get me wrong." Mission continued, "Zaalbar's great. Probably the only one who actually cared for my wellbeing, the same applies for me to him. But the both of us get lonely…even in each other's company. So, that's it. Zaalbar and I are just tagging along for the ride. Besides, what are the chances of having a Jedi and a Sith Lord as company?" Missions eyes seem to gleam with a peculiar glimmer. "I've been meaning to ask. How do you feel about Revan? I mean, you were the first one out of all of us to know about him right?"

Bastila nods, "That's true."

"So? Whaddya think?"

"I-" Bastila paused. In truth she didn't know what to think of him. She admired him. She disagreed with him. Yet above all she respected him…in a way.

"I'm not really sure, to be honest."

Mission covers her eyes from a sudden gust of wind, carrying the sands towards her direction, "Well…as a Jedi yourself, it must be weird walking alongside a Sith Lord. Darth Revan of all people. You trust him? See him as an ally?"

"I don't know Mission. I don't know what I see in him. I don't know if I could trust him completely." Bastila huffed briefly before continuing, "…In fact. I don't know if Revan even knows himself."

Mission smiled and nudged the Jedi's elbow as they continued to follow Revan. "Well if it helps. _I _trust you. Not just cause you're a Jedi. But you just seem…really nice."

Bastila smirked at the Twi'lek's remark, "I appreciate that. Though some might disagree with your opinion of me. Jealous Padawans back on Dantooine often refer to me as narcissistic due to my abilities with the Force. Not many refer to me as 'nice'."

"You don't seem very full of yourself. Don't listen to those losers. Oh! Speaking of the Force, you ever thought of using it for a bit of fun?"

The Jedi glared at the girl's playful gaze, "Mission. It's unreasonable and impractical for a Jedi to use their powers for their own selfish gains."

"That's no fun." The girl jested, "Come on. Never once did you think about sweeping someone off their feet with the Force? With a simple wave of the hand and you could spill an annoying person's drink at a cantina?"

"Mission." Bastila glared, prompting the young rogue to giggle mischievously. As her laugh dissipates, Mission returns to a more condensed and solemn tone.

"Seriously though. You're a genuine woman, a Jedi to boot. If ya need anything, want to talk about anything – just know that Zaalbar and I are open for your company."

The Jedi smiled at this gesture, "Thank you Mission. If only more within the Jedi Order held your attitude. Perhaps even your mannerisms as well – then we may yet truly prosper."

The Twi'lek returned a warm smile, yet the moment was prematurely ruined as a robotic voice emerged besides the pair.

"Mockery: I do not know why my Master has chosen you two as his companions. It is fortunate that Master Revan does not have to bear the conversation of meatbags, yet I am cursed to endure the gift of sensitive audio receivers – hence allowing me to obtain your touchy and intimate conversation. Revolting."

As the two women glared coldly towards the HK unit, they were prepared to dismantle the droid on the spot – having not even spent half an hour within it's presence and already fed up with it's programming. Yet HK was saved as Revan stopped dead in his tracks upon reaching the end of a high sand dune. His party stopped just beside him observing just over the deserts ridge – everyone noticing the guarded settlement in the distance.

"This path was supposed to be empty. I do not recall a settlement being this far within the desert." Revan stated, clenching his fist. There was a disturbance in the Force. The settlers within that village gave off a peculiar and instinctual presence, one that even Bastila could sense.

"Explanation: Master. That is the handiwork of the sand people. A savage, nomadic group of meatbags. They are prone to erecting camps and settlements like the one stationed not too far away from us. Yet my photoreceptors are seeing that this settlement in particular resembles much like a fortress rather than a mere camp…shall I blast them away?"

Revan shakes his head yet smiled at the assassin droid's quip conclusion, "That would be unwise HK. Yet the datapad is being disturbed by the frequencies in this area. Maybe these natives will hold the answers we seek."

"Observation: Oh I would think conversing with these savages will be a most improbable outcome. They are renowned for performing raids and ambushes on unsuspecting wanderers. Useful techniques, however their execution is considerably poor."

"Your input is noted HK." Revan replied, making his way down the sand dune and towards the raider settlement.

"Your droid seems to be very capable of a variety of things." Bastila mentions as the party followed the Sith Lord closely.

"HK has his functions. Some more useful than others." Revan replied.

"Statement: Ah yes, the wonderful sounds of meatbag discussions. _Wonderful_."

"Hey, even your droid calls you meatbag?" Mission asked Revan.

"Retraction: -Gasp- Did I say that out loud? I apologise Master Revan. While you are indeed a meatbag. I should probably not address you as such. It's just that you are all so…meaty. Squishy. _Liquid_. How you organics tolerate the constant sloshing of water makes my processors wonder how you all aren't driven mad!"

Bastila hissed at the droid, "Your remarks are uninformative and hardly useful."

"Correction: It is my Master's programming which constitutes my comments. Observation: The brashness of a Jedi. I haven't seen one of your kind since my Master departed me to perform certain…'assignments'. Silly Jedi."

"Enough." Revan commanded. "We're close to the settlement. And from the distinct screeching and war-like sounds the settlers are making in the distance – I don't think they're peaceful. Be ready for a fight."

"Statement: Understood Master. I was wondering when we were finally going to do something useful." HK trudged forward with his rifle in hand.

Bastila clips her lightsaber from the hilt of her robes. Mission removes her blaster pistol from its holster and edges her finger against the trigger.

"Observation: Sensors detect movement at the settlements gates. Sand people. Shall I dispose of them now Master?"

What a wonder this droid was. Revan was infact proud of this marvel of a creation. It's programming was proned for assassination – built for it and ensured that it's commands were appropriate. Yet above these functions was a programming for loyalty – a circuit within its core, which ensured absolute obedience to it's creator. Revan couldn't ask for a better creation. It's mannerisms were one thing, and it's attitude was another – yet Revan knew he could count on HK-47, after all: droids tend to be more trustworthy compared to men. Revan always found that circuits can reveal more truths than a person's lying heart.

Revan keeps his hands close to his lightsabers, ready to act if the need arises. He turns to HK and smiled behind his mask, "We'll see HK. We'll see."


	9. Chapter 8: Feelings

**Ebon Hawk, Anchorhead Spaceport**

Carth sneezed as he climbed back up the entrance ramp to the Ebon Hawk. He was already sick of this sand clad planet. Slowly, he swipes the sand off the entrance of the Hawk with his right foot and clicked a button alongside the entrance panel, watching as the ramp gradually ascends from the ground and seals the ship from a cluster of sand entering the vessel.

"That oughta keep the sand from swarming the ship." Carth murmured to no one in particular. He swiped the sand off his shoulders as he entered the main hold of the ship. Zaalbar slouched against one of the benches situated near the main hold with his bowcaster in arms reach. As Carth made his way further within the main hold, Zaalbar let out a quiet and spoiled growl – the point where it was equivalent to a whimper.

"You alright there big guy?" Carth asked adjusting his vest and shaking his pants free of any grains.

Zaalbar slowly looked over to the Republic soldier and let out a disheartened rumble. Carth sighed as he noticed the distinct sadness within Zaalbar's tone, usually the Wookie would let out a bellowing or proud roar when 'speaking', yet ever since Revan, Bastila and Mission left in search of the Star Map, Zaalbar had been nothing but down.

"He worries for the girl." A voice emerged from not too far away. In a secluded room within the main hold sat Juhani, kneeling in meditation with her eyes closed. Gradually they open, revealing her golden, feline eyes.

"Mission?" Carth asked, "I'm sure she can take care of herself. I've seen her work while we were stranded on Taris. Ain't that right Zaalbar?"

The Wookie gave an unenthusiastic rumble as his response. Juhani slowly emerges from her meditative state and approached the two carefully. The Cathar Jedi folds her arms and eyes the Republic soldier down, analysing him. Juhani didn't trust anyone onboard this ship save Bastila. She even held her doubts over Revan. But only fools would let their guard down amongst strangers, Juhani will not make that mistake. Carth begins to feel uncomfortable as the Jedi continued to stare at him; he slowly backs away as a result.

As Carth leaves the main hold, he could hear the distinct voice of Juhani emerge into conversation with Zaalbar.

"Don't worry Zaalbar. Mission will return safely. I have no doubt about it."

The Wookie whimpered, causing Juhani to respond with a softer tone.

"I cannot guarantee it. Yet I have faith in the Force. Revan and Bastila will keep her safe."

Carth rolled his eyes, it would seem the Cathar is more distrustful to some than most. As Carth continued to eye over his shoulder and watch both the Cathar and Wookie gradually disappear behind the Ebon Hawk's walls, the Republic soldier bumped into something hard. Carth takes a few steps back and narrows his eyes, frustrated in his own carelessness. His frustration soon transitioned into resentment, as standing infront of him was the broad back of none other than the Mandalorian warrior.

Slowly, Canderous turns to see what had bumped into him – turning along with him was his heavy Mando blaster in both his hands. His dark silver eyes pierce Carth's hazel ones. Canderous spoke softly, "Lost?"

It didn't take a genius to know that there was venom in the Mandalorian's speech, despite his tone being masked by tenderness. Carth brushed the front of his jacket and eyed Canderous down. Behind the broad exterior of the Mandalorian – a black vest and combat tracksuits. Yet what caught Carth's eyes was the weapon he was holding. It was a heavy blaster like none other. Mandalorian design, heavily modified -personalised to be exact. The grip fit his hands perfectly; the barrel did not extend too far and was capable of being efficient when fired from both the hip or fired from a setup point. Mandalorian in design perhaps, yet effective within the hands of this particular user.

"No." Carth began, "Was just heading back to the cockpit to make sure the fuel gauge is full."

The Mandalorian nods slightly and continued to examine his weapon. Carth arched an eyebrow and gradually walked past the Mandalorian warrior – trying to avert the awkward and tense atmosphere. If one was placed within the corridor where these two now stood, they could immediately feel the precedent rivalry that had already developed between Carth and Canderous. The Republic soldier…the Mandalorian Crusader. Two former enemies, two massive egos.

"Hold it." Canderous ordered. Carth froze and peered over his shoulder. The Mandalorian carefully approached him, slow yet impactful steps. His heavy blaster caught his eye again, before they quickly move back up to the hardened Mando's face. As Canderous entered within Carth's general proximity, the Republic soldier turned to face him and crossed his arms.

Canderous paused and observed Carth. It was an uncomfortable stare, and an even more uncomfortable silence. After several seconds, the Mandalorian spoke.

"You fought in the War. Didn't you?"

Carth's lips tighten; the thought of war hadn't crossed his mind for quite some time. No one should have to be subjected to the constant thought of combat, battle or bloodshed. No sane person at least. Carth supposed that that was what made him and Canderous so different – so hostile towards one another. War. War was something else entirely.

"Suppose I did. Why do you ask?" Carth answered.

The Mandalorian perked a slight smile from the corner of his mouth, "No reason. But I can see it in your eyes. I can see fear in a man from miles away. I've seen too much of it in the eyes of cowardly Republic soldiers surrendering to our mighty Basilisk droids…"

That comment nearly made Carth snap; yet Canderous continued – stilling Carth's hand.

"…But your fear. Yours is different from the rest. Not like those 'kids' who considered themselves 'soldiers' of the Republic who soil themselves at the sight of blood. You've been in the thick of it, the brunt of the conflict. That's something I can respect out of you. Perhaps we faced each other once in combat. What battles were you in?"

Carth clenched his fist, "Yeah, here's the thing. Unlike you – I don't glorify war. I don't like to dwell too much on the battles I've been in. The things I've seen define the horrors of war. Thinking about it would just make me hurl."

Canderous's smile disappeared, "Horrors of war? Tsk, to think that I just separated you from the rest of the dire rabble. I'm disappointed."

"Those '_rabble_' were living, breathing people. Soldiers who were willing to lay down their lives for the Republic – to stop you Mandalorians from pillaging the galaxy!" Carth yelled.

Canderous shook his head, "Oh Carth, did I strike a nerve? I thought a warrior such as you would understand the glory of battle, the adrenaline of victory, and the honour in conflict. But what we Mandalorians did was simply separating the weak from the strong. Those who cannot fend for themselves are destined to be destroyed – whether it be by us or another."

"Don't feed me that crap." Carth hissed, "Mandalorians. Ha! War on the brain, no regard for life and mindless butchers. I'm not a warrior. I'm a soldier. Warriors attack and conquer. Soldiers protect the weak and the innocent – mostly from warriors."

Canderous retorted sarcastically, "Oh how heroic. Please, by all means preach your fascinating speech. This is the difference between you Republic whelps and us Mandalorians. I accept who and what I am. My actions are justified through victory and battle!"

Carth snickered then scoffed, "Justification through victory? From memory…I think you lost, you know? To us?"

Canderous raised his voice, "The Republic was well off. You had more ships, troops and supplies. Yet we still beat you back. We still routed your forces all the way into the core worlds. But then the Jedi had your back, the Jedi picked up your slack and finally provided the Republic with the incentive to actually put up a fight!"

"Yeah you can keep telling yourself that. But in the end. The Mandalorian Wars concluded with a _Republic_ victory. Look I don't want to talk about this, you lost." And with that – Carth turned and picked up his pace towards the cockpit before Canderous could even reply. As Carth left the space, he could feel the Mandalorian's steely gaze kept against his back. The Republic soldier wanted nothing more than to settle this instituted feud right then and there. Dispose of Canderous and possibly scratch off one liability to Bastila and the others. But if right now, the Mandalorian knew what he was dealing with, and Carth realised that.

That entire exchange was simply an excuse for Canderous to read Carth and evaluate his standing on him. Canderous received his answer – and now he will be more discreet. Carth sighed as he entered the cockpit and sits on the pilot seat. After his eyes checked the fuel gauge and confirmed that it was full, Carth leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The Republic soldier said that he doesn't dwell on the War. That was true. The Mandalorian Wars were a gritty and violent occurrence – one which nearly tore the Republic and the galaxy apart. Yet as Carth sat there and reminisced, his mind couldn't stop thinking about the events that ultimately followed.

_Telos_.

A bright beep caused Carth to open his eyes. Slowly he turned his head over and peered over his shoulder to see T3 roll smoothly into the cockpit.

"Brrt, doo, Dweet?"

Carth smiled, "Yeah, the Ebon Hawk's fuelled up and ready to go little buddy. Now it's just a matter of waiting for our search party to come back."

T3 responded with several intervals of beeps and boops, rattling and swaying slightly from side to side as it communed.

Carth takes a moment to think about his answer, and after several seconds – he replied, "I don't know if they'll be ok. I know next to nothing about this desert. But I'm more worried about Bastila and Mission walking alongside a Sith Lord. What bothers me more is that they seem completely fine with the thought."

Carth sighed and rubbed his face with both his hands, "Revan…Darth Revan. Why did I think it was a good idea to let him onboard? I should've killed the bastard on Dantooine…come of think of it, where the hell were the rest of the Jedi? Don't they…sense his presence or something?"

"Drrr, Beet, Dwaaah."

"You're maybe right. I might be overthinking this. But I'm just looking out for our safety here. My gut is screaming distrust about this whole situation, about the crew we just formed."

Carth observes the front panel of the ship and watched as solid grains of sand begin to stick onto the screen.

"To be honest Teethree. I have a bad feeling about this…about all of this."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

"Observation: Now that is the Master I remember."

The fortress was nearly rendered with the bodies of Tusken raiders and severed limbs. The entrance of the encampment, where the defence turrets set up and reprogrammed by the Sand people was left behind by solid lightsaber strikes, blaster marks and scorched plasma explosions.

Revan was breathing deeply as the Tusken chieftain was lying before him, screaming something unintelligible as he raised his hand out as if it was pleading for mercy. Revan extended both of his arms and crossed his lightsabers, his crimson and violet blades were ready to take the raider's head clean off. Once more, the chieftain let out a cry of pitched noises, trying to communicate with the foreign invader that was ready to take his head.

"You savages seem to have a knack for attacking everyone and everything on sight. Yet there must be some level of intelligence residing within those delicate skulls of yours, considering that somehow one of you reprogrammed defence turrets to fire upon anyone that isn't recognised as one of you." Revan stated with a composed tone. Carefully he looks over his shoulder and calls for HK.

"HK! Come. Translate what he is saying."

The droid did as it was commanded, walking past an exhausted Mission and Bastila, covered in sand, dirt and plasma marks. As Bastila leaned forward and exhaled heavily – trying to catch her breath, her hazy vision clogged by dust and fatigue dimly sees the dark figure of Revan hovering over the downed chieftain, ready to draw blood.

"Translation: He was initially pleading for help. Yet when help did not arrive and he saw you, Master, approaching him. He was begging for mercy."

Revan tilts his head and kept his gaze down towards the raider. Soon, the Sith Lord scoffed.

"Hmph. Mercy. Translate this. Ask him for directions towards the East. The twin sun's on this planet hardly provide an effective compass."

HK turned his head to face the chieftain and heeded his master's command, "Translation: [Unintelligible]"

The chieftain diverted his attention towards the droid and responded in his unique language, rambling and screeching.

"Translation: He is asking if we intended to venture into the Eastern Dune Sea, where other's of his kind reside."

"Yes." Revan replied laconically.

"Translation: [Unintelligible]"

The chieftain responded again.

"Translation: He has provided me directions. Though he mentioned something peculiar."

"Peculiar?" Revan asked as he turned his head towards the droid.

"Confirmation: This sad meatbag warned us about what we may find in the Eastern Dune Sea. He referred the location we seek as a 'graveyard'. Peculiar would you not agree master?"

"Peculiar indeed. The Rakatan ruins on Tatooine should be relatively safe and empty. No defence mechanisms, no overseer droids left behind. Unless…someone or something made it as a shelter."

It was quiet after Revan made that statement. The humming of his lightsabers dissipated the silence, while the rising and falling of the chieftain's chest accompanied his muffled breathing. Revan asked HK once more.

"Are you certain his directions are legitimate?"

"Answer: Yes master, I have calculated the route the chieftain has provided for us and can confirm that it will take us to your desired location."

"Good. Then he is no longer of any use to us." Revan replied coldly, preparing to separate the chieftain's head from his body.

"Stop!" A voice cried out from behind the Sith Lord, causing Revan to slowly peer over his shoulder.

_'__Bastila you fool.' _Revan thought to himself.

"That's enough Revan." Bastila said as she slowly walked up to him and placed a hand against his shoulder. "…That's enough. He gave you what you wanted. Don't you think you should let him go?"

"Mockery: Master, I don't see why you keep these pseudo-pacifists at your side. Jedi are clearly impractical in the sense of achieving their goals. The example is standing right beside you, bickering at your ear."

Bastila murmured beneath her breath, just enough for Revan alone to hear her. "Don't listen to that droid, listen to me. I know you are better than this."

"Better?" Revan scoffed, "Rich word coming from the Jedi who slaughtered a quarter of this camp."

"We were provoked and fired upon. I had no choice. But right now, the situation you are in – you are in a position of giving life and death. He is disarmed; he is at your mercy. Do not let hatred cloud your mind. Let him go." Bastila said softly.

"Let him go? Huh…let him go. Do you know what would happen if I did that? What is to stop this raider merging with the other tribes in this desert? What would stop him from potentially raising another settlement and terrorise anyone who comes into view? The naivety. You think by committing one 'good' deed you avert an evil outcome. Yet the world isn't like that Bastila. I hoped you would have realised that by now. Yet still you see through the eyes of a child."

"No Revan. It is you who is blind. I will not stand by and watch you kill the defenceless. He yielded Revan. Jedi will never-"

"I am not…a Jedi!" Revan shouted, extending his right arm away from the chieftain's head and directed his crimson blade towards Bastila before she could even react. The Jedi was taken back, reeling slightly away from Revan's lightsaber.

Silence. Silence stood over the party for several moments before HK gradually points it's blaster towards Bastila.

"Observation: Now we're getting somewhere! Just say the word master. And I'll rid the galaxy of this annoying pacifist."

Revan did not answer, instead – he kept his red lightsaber pointing at Bastila's chest, while his other arm kept his purple blade closely towards the chieftain's throat. The Sith Lord's head gradually turned to face Bastila, the uneasy silence burning hotter than Tatooine's twin sun's.

"Guys! I think we might be getting a bit too excited yeah?" Mission blurted out, trying her best to break apart the conflict. No one budged.

"If you're going to kill me, then do it." Bastila urged quietly, sparking Revan's attention as he tilted his head slightly.

"After all. If you're not Jedi, then you can only be one other thing: Sith. And what would a Sith do to the defenceless? What would a Sith do to me in your position?"

Revan remained silent.

"The Sith don't care. They'll slaughter the defenceless, the innocent, the feeble. It doesn't matter. As long as their power grows and their selfish desires are fulfilled. Is that what you are Revan? Have you been lying to me all this time? It is possible, Sith do have a tendency to lie and betray one another."

Revan grinned behind his mask and replied simply, "No." He slowly lowered his right arm, yet remained firm towards Bastila.

"I am not Jedi. Yet despite what you or the Jedi might think. I am not _Sith_. Perhaps once, I walked that path. No more. Remember Bastila. Sith is merely the title I claim for its symbolism. But like the Jedi, they are flawed. Malak is a prime example."

"Then why don't you let him go?" Bastila urged as the humming of Revan's lightsaber continued to hum dangerously.

Revan remained silent. He slowly turns his head towards HK, who continued to keep his blaster trained against Bastila. Slowly, Revan returned his gaze back to the grey-eyed Jedi and stared into her expression. Bastila was stern, unflinching and determined to have her way – her eyes screamed that fact. It was an admirable quality, one that Revan respected – one that Revan had come to respect for Mandalorians after his 'fall' to the Dark Side. He realised the potential of dedication and confidence, how these two aspects essentially led to action, contradicting the idleness of the Jedi Council, the _cowards_.

As Revan stared into Bastila's piercing eyes, pondering the decision he was going to make while also at the same time keeping an eye on Bastila's general movements – especially around her hips, where her double-bladed lightsaber was dangling.

"Guys…" A voice emerged to the side. HK immediately redirected it's blaster towards the source of the voice. Bastila and Revan turned their heads to see the one who was speaking.

"I think you're a little bit turned up." Mission said as she glared at HK, keeping both her hands firm against the handle of her blaster pistols. "Why don't we just take it down a notch? Just relax? Put the dangerous glow sticks down, put the blasters down and settle this properly. What do you guys say?"

"Statement: Shall I blast this meatbag as well? Just give me the order Master. It will be quick and painless. _Mostly_."

Mission takes a step back away from HK after it made its statement. Revan returns to Bastila, lightsaber continuing to point towards her chest. Yet what Revan realised was that Bastila did not change her expression – if anything, her eyes were narrowed, stern and pressing the Sith Lord with a determined stare. It was admirable. Foolish, but admirable. Revan couldn't deny her – she may yet learn in time. For now he will allow her to remain the blind Jedi, yet even if his words couldn't sway her opinion, sooner or later, she _will _learn.

"Stand down HK." Revan said, lowering his weapon and sheathing his blades back into their hilts. HK obeyed it's Master's command, slowly lowering it's weapon and seemed to murmur something off to the side. The chieftain lying beneath Revan stared at the distinguished Sith Lord's mask. Slowly, Revan looked down to the raider and returned the chieftain's gaze. The paced rise and fall of the chieftain's chest signed that he was scared. Slowly, Revan leaned down towards the Tusken raider – to the point where the chieftain could see himself clearly against the reflection of the Sith Lord's visor.

"Run." Revan commanded briefly. A simple order, yet one that beared authority. It was an order that required no translation, as the chieftain quickly climbed up to his feet and ran – screeching something in it's violent and war-like language. Slowly Revan, turned to HK, his gaze indicating that he wants to know what the Tusken raider screamed as he ran. HK picked up this signal and provided the translation.

"Translation: Master, it would seem you have earned a new nickname amongst these nomadic meatbags. If that sad savage ever relays the news of what has transpired here, then you, Master shall be referred to as 'Demon'."

"Demon?" Revan questioned.

"Recitation: It is a distinct adjective, one used to describe one other creature residing on this planet. It would seem that you would be the second to be described as such amongst these meatbag savages."

"Curious." Revan replied, turning to Bastila. "Satisfied Jedi?"

Bastila didn't look too sure. She refrained from replying for several seconds, her eyes watching as the chieftain disappeared from her sight.

"Unsure of the decision you just made?" Revan asked in a seemingly sarcastic manner as he clipped both his lightsabers to the side of his belt.

"I made the right decision…_you _made the right decision." Bastila replied in a hush voice. "Letting him live was right. Everything was according to the Jedi code."

Revan shakes his head, the Sith Lord didn't even want to escalate matters further – not when there was a mission at stake. Yet Revan noticed the determined steely glare of the Jedi soon deteriorate into uncertainty. In Revan's mind, he knew what she was thinking, she was referring to what he had mentioned earlier – what if the chieftain reunites with other tribes? What's stopping him from erecting a new settlement and continuing to ravage the deserts of Tatooine? Or harass nearby settlements?

Revan wasn't sure if it was to the extent of their Force bond that allows him to read her thoughts so clearly, yet at the same time Revan pondered if Bastila could do the same vice-versa, reading his thoughts. It would be unlikely, as Revan had spent years conditioning his mind and preventing a vast majority of Force techniques that altered the psychological mindset, no matter if there was a Force bond present or not. He supposed he had Kreia to thank for that. He won't forget her, and he certainly will not allow Bastila to remain blind to Jedi idiocy forever.

"Well…if we're done here. I guess we can look around for things we can use. I mean, water's looking pretty good now – especially in this heat." Mission suggested with an exhausted look across her face. Bastila blinked twice and put aside her discerning thoughts. She turned towards the Twi'lek and nodded.

"Yes. Yes that would be wise. Would you not agree Revan?" Bastila said, turning her gaze towards him.

Revan hides his arms inwards, shrouding it within the cape that draped over his shoulders and down to his chest. Their mission was urgent. There were many Star Maps left to uncover and time was of the essence. Malak was on the verge of building an armada capable of destroying the Republic and the galaxy while they sat at a scorched raider camp – scrounging for supplies. Yet for whatever reason, as Revan stared within Bastila's star-eyed gaze – he couldn't help but nod his head.

"Go." He said in a low voice, "Take what you need."

Bastila nods in turn as she began to follow Mission who was heading deeper within the raider's settlement. As the Twi'lek and the Jedi descend further down, Revan noticed that Bastila peered over her shoulder, as if she felt his gaze was fixated purely on her. As the pair disappear around the corner, the droid interrupts the silence.

"Query: Master, why did you let that insufferable savage escape?"

"Not now HK." Revan replied as he turned around and too – began walking in search for necessary supplies or equipment, with HK following at his side.

"Master. I could have exterminated that rambling tribal with zero hesitation. Alongside those meatbags you have walking beside you."

Revan stopped and slowly turned to the droid, "You will not touch or harm them in any way. Do you understand me?"

"Query: Does my Master have attachments to those companions? Why, the Master I remember-"

"Things have changed HK. Everything's changed. We have a different enemy now. From now on, it's not the Jedi or the Republic anymore – it's Malak, and anyone who stands in our way." Revan said sternly as he continued walking through the raider encampment.

"Commentary: Very well Master. I am programmed to adhere by your commands. Yet if I am not here to abide by my assassination protocols then may I inquire as to why you insist on keeping the pacifist alive?"

Revan remained silent.

"Query: Do not tell me that you are fornicating with the female Jedi! Disgusting!" HK exclaimed in a robotic and drowned tone – yet it's expression was held in clear concern.

"HK…" Revan groaned.

"Observation: Do not think I do not know what you are doing Master. I have observed the way you look at each other. There is no point hiding the fact."

Revan palmed a hand over his mask, "HK…enough. We do not have that kind of relationship. We do not have anything involved, romantic or otherwise. Her presence is strictly necessary for the journey we have ahead of us – as well as the others."

"Others Master? There are _other _meatbags you consider as companions aside from the other two?"

Revan nods, "Yes…at Anchorhead."

"_Wonderful_." HK replied sarcastically.

"But enough of that. Are you certain you have the precise route calculated towards the Star Map?"

"Answer: Affirmative Master. I can begin planning our safest route there once we depart this scorched settlement."

"Good." The Sith Lord affirmed with a grin, "Good."

**_Meanwhile, other side of the Tusken settlement_**

"You never mentioned you had a brother." The Jedi said in shock.

"I keep it a hush hush topic. Zaalbar's the only one who knows about him in detail, coming from me. Until now." Mission replied, throwing away an empty satchel long used up by one of the Tusken raiders.

The pair carefully stepped over the corpses of spread out Sand People and descended to the end of the camp.

"Are you comfortable talking about him?" Bastila asked sincerely.

Mission nods, "With you…I don't see why not. But, it eats at me to this day – especially what I learned nearly a month ago."

Bastila continued to walk alongside Mission, intrigued to the coming story, while also keeping an eye out for anything of necessity.

"Short version, I thought the world of my brother. Ever since I was a kid it was just me and him against Taris. I loved my brother. He was a shady guy, did a lot of things to earn easy credits – infact, sometimes it was the only thing on his mind." Mission paused for a moment, as if the words were stuck in her throat. "Then one day – he left."

Bastila arched an eyebrow, "You mean…"

Mission looked at Bastila and gave her an affirming nod. Bastila sealed her lips and shook her head.

"I must've been eleven…twelve maybe. He left me on Taris for a girl, _Lena_ – a private dancer who caught his eye while he was gambling our money away in a game of Pazaak. He told me…no he _promised_ me that he would come back for me, but he never came. For a long time I thought Lena was the one to blame for taking my brother away, but…"

"But…?" Bastila insisted her to continue.

"While I was scrounging around the lower sector of Taris with Zaalbar around a month ago, I saw Lena again in one of the lower city cantina's. She approached me and Zaalbar, telling me how she recognised my face even after all these years passed." Mission replied, her tone drying to a sorrowful manner. The two make their way into a large space, surrounded by several gates which might've been used by the Tusken raiders to store supplies, animals or other things – the only way to find out was to open them all and see what was inside. As the pair approached the first gate, Mission continued on with her story.

"I gave Lena an earful. Cursing her to death about how she stole my brother from me – leaving me, a twelve year-old to survive off of scraps!" Mission pulled a lever which opened one of the large gates, revealing a cache of stolen blasters and Czerka munitions, likely spoils from weary travellers or unsuspecting mercenaries who were bold to travel into the Sand People's territory.

"But what angered me most of all was what she said to me as a reply." Mission continued as she entered the room, replacing her used up blaster cartridges with fresh ones from the stolen stock. "Lena told me that my brother never wanted me to come with them, that she was the heroine who offered to pay for my ticket off that rock. Then she told me my brother was a liar, a cheat and a freeloader! Part of me wanted to smack her so hard to the point where her head-tails would fall off!"

The pair leave the first room and walk to the second one, allowing Mission to vent her rage and catch her breath. Slowly, Mission pulled another lever – allowing the second room to open, revealing an assortment of stored food and liquid beverages. It was hardly systematic the way it was stacked, but the Jedi and the Twi'lek scoured the room of what they could hold.

"But what really urched me was that the other part of me believed her." Mission continued with sadness lingering behind her throat. "I told Lena to get away from me, that I don't want to ever see her again. And I haven't. After that, for a solid month I haven't stopped thinking about my brother – the possibility of him _choosing_ to abandon me for the sake of opportunity." The Twi'lek quickly swiped her eyes from progressively building tears and rubbing away a sniffle.

"Sorry…I doubt you'd want to listen to a little girl like me complain about her family issues." Mission sniffed as the pair leave the second room and finally make it to the third and final door. They stop just before the panel containing the lever for the room's entrance, where Bastila placed a hand over the girl's shoulder and pulled her gently towards her chest. It was clearly a sensitive topic, one that required every ounce of Mission's trust towards Bastila in order to let it out. The Twi'lek needed comfort above all, and Bastila was willing to provide it to her in any form – no matter how meagre.

"It's ok Mission. I don't mind listening at all. Now that we are travelling together, I would say opening up to one another is a step towards a fruitful relationship, one that will ensure that we have a higher chance of making it out alive at the end of all this. My family isn't perfect either…believe me. We all have our stories of the past. It's how we prepare for the future that makes us who we are." The Jedi stated wisely. If comfort was the goal, then certainly Bastila succeeded to a degree.

"Thanks Bastila." Mission replied with a smile – swiping the last of her tears away with her sleeve. "Now, lets see what we have in here." She pulled the lever and watched as the third gate creak and screech metallically as it was raised up slower than the other two. As the two waited patiently for the gate to open, Bastila raised a curious question.

"What was your brother's name? Out of curiosity."

Mission turned to Bastila with a sincere glare, as the Twi'lek responded – her voice held a broken tone, "It's a goofy name but…" As Mission turned to enter the room, her head kept over her shoulder as she continued to commune with the Jedi. Yet as her head turned back to see what was inside – her eyes widened.

"…his name was…Griff?!" The Twi'lek shrieked. The Jedi directed her attention to the corner of the room, a frightened Twi'lek male was cuddled to himself, sporting a Czerka employee's uniform. Bastila turned to Mission, her expression saying it all.

"Wait…is he…is this man?" Bastila questioned mid-way, only for Mission to nod slowly in response, mouth slightly open and eyes continuing to remain wide.

"You, you two! Young ladies. I don't know how you know my name, but I'm an executive of Czerka Corporation and uh…if you two get me out of here, you will rewarded. Please…I don't think it's safe here. I heard blaster fire and weird slashing going on not too long ago. " The Twi'lek male stammered as he took a closer look at Mission. His face was grimy, scattered with sand and looked starved beyond belief.

Mission glared at her Griff, disbelieving the possibility of her own _brother _not even recognising her. Yet there was a glimmer of naivety lingering within her eyes. A part of her hoped that Lena's stories were false, conjectures of her failed relationship with Griff.

"Griff…" Mission began softly, a voice emerging from a torn family member who hasn't seen _family _for so long. "…don't you recognise me? It's me, Mission."

"Mission? By the stars. Is that really you?" Griff muttered, shocked at the sight. Gradually, Griff stands on his feet and approached Mission – ready to embrace her with a hug. Mission narrowed her eyes and took several steps back, until she was standing beside Bastila.

"I'm happy to see you Griff…really. But there has to be something I need to know."

"Mission…what is this? I haven't seen you in so long. I was so worried about you, constantly thinking about you after leaving you on Taris. Now you won't even give me a hug?"

"Griff, it's important. I spoke to Lena on Taris, she told me that it was _your_ idea to leave me there." Mission approached Griff, eyes locked with his – "Tell me it's not true. I want you to look at me and tell me she was lying."

Griff reached behind his lekku and rubbed the back of his head, providing his sister with a fumbled groan. Just then, a voice emerged behind Bastila and Mission – a robotic voice to be exact, belonging to a very _specific_ droid.

"Request: When you have the time Master Revan, perhaps you will inspect my central control panel. I fear there may have been several displacements performed by the Ithorian."

Revan and HK move themselves into view from the corner and stopped, both of them turn to where the gates were opened and spot the location of Bastila, Mission and an unfamiliar Twi'lek male.

"I'll look at it HK…after we get off this dreaded planet." Revan replied as they gradually make their way towards the group. As Revan and HK approached them, Revan could sense deceit and greed stemming from the male Twi'lek.

"Bastila…Mission. Did you take what you need from this settlement?" Revan stopped beside the Jedi and scanned Griff from top to bottom, "And who is this?"

"He's…Mission's brother." Bastila answered.

"Curious…" Revan stated as he continued to feel the aura of greed and lies surround Griff.

"Well?" Mission asked, her voice lowering to the point where it was demanding an answer, "Was she or was she not lying? Leaving me on Taris alone? Tell me it wasn't your idea! Tell me the truth!"

Bastila whispered to the Sith Lord, "She was abandoned by her brother on Taris at a very young age. She thought her brother – Griff, was coerced into leaving Taris by his lover. But it would seem there is some discrepancy to her alleged truth."

Revan whispered back, "What does this have to do with the mission at hand? In case you have forgotten Bastila, Malak still roams the galaxy, collecting pieces of the Star Forge and closer to obtaining a weapon capable of overwhelming the Republic and every other independent system."

Bastila narrowed her eyes, "I haven't forgotten. But right now, perhaps you should worry about the needs of others – instead of yourself."

Revan growled softly, "This is a waste of time." His response caused Bastila to swiftly nudge Revan's stomach with her elbow, causing him to groan softly.

Griff fumbled his response, "Well you see – there's the truth, then there's the '_truth_'. I was going to come back for you Mission, I swear it. As soon as I had the credits I needed to pay off my debts, but credits are hard to come by."

Mission's eyes gradually swelled with tears, yet her lips remained stern and she barked her reply, "So it is true? It was _your _idea to leave me on Taris! How could you do that to me? I'm your little sister! What compelled you to abandon me like that?!"

Griff sighed, "Come on Mission. You don't need me to look after you anymore. You were a kid sure, but you knew how to look after yourself. B-besides, you're here now – alive even. So everything's fine."

"Fine? Fine!? Is that all you have to say after _leaving _me?"

The male Twi'lek held a sheepish look over his face, "Well that and uh…can you get me out of here? I mean, you look like you've got a rough looking group lookin' out for ya, in a good way of course."

Revan adjusts his hood forward and spoke, "It doesn't look like you'll have a problem running back to Anchorhead. I doubt any of the Sand People here are gonna stop you."

Mission swiped her tears away; "I should smack you for leaving me. I was a kid damn you. And you left me."

Griff began to look sincere, "Mission-"

"I don't want to hear it Griff. Just go. Run back to Anchorhead."

"I would advise listening to your sister." Bastila stepped in.

"I agree." Revan injected, "You won't know whether or not more of these raiders will appear. And we won't be there to save you."

Griff stared at Revan, Bastila, his sister then at the silent and menacing droid lurking behind it's master, clasping it's unique blaster and seemingly gleamed with bloodlust.

"Right…right." Griff stammered, "I'll go." The male Twi'lek slowly walked past the group before turning to Mission one last time.

"I gotta say Mission. You look good – financially I mean. You wouldn't mind sparing a few credits for me?"

"I can't believe this." Mission scoffed, "You're hitting me up for credits? After what you just did? Lena was right…I never should've opened this gate and let you go. I don't wanna talk to you. Ever."

"Come on Mission, just a few." Griff begged. Revan approached him silently, causing Griff to turn over his shoulder and look up at the taller stature of the Sith Lord.

"She has provided you an answer and yet you refuse to listen. What kind of sibling are you?" Revan asked rhetorically as Griff stared back into his reflection upon Revan's visor.

"I-" Griff stopped as Revan grabbed the collar of his Czerka uniform.

"Run to Anchorhead, and do not talk to Mission. Unlike you, she serves a purpose to our journey." Revan let go of Griff and watched him leave their presence, not looking back once – not even back at Mission.

"Your brother is a selfish one." Revan mentioned to Mission. The girl simply nodded, not even fazed with the intention to defend her sad excuse for a brother anymore.

"I know." She replied sadly. "I know."

"Request: Can we move on? This planet is doing poorly for my inner circuits. I have the route planned out Master Revan. We can proceed immediately towards our designated location."

"We have no time to waste. Let's go." Revan ordered and the group began to depart the ruined settlement and continued on their journey to discover merely the first of the Star Maps.

* * *

**The Leviathan, Sixth Fleet – Malak's Central Force**

Admiral Karath entered the helm of the Leviathan, spotting Darth Malak at the very front in council with the holograms of Uthar Wynn, Malak's apprentice - Darth Bandon and other Sith Admirals and officers appointed to lead the rest of the Sith fleet and main occupation forces.

"Lord Malak." Uthar could be heard making his claims, "The Star Map you have requested will be transported to you momentarily. I am also pleased to inform you that the Sith adherents on Korriban are progressing marvellously."

Malak chuckled, "That is good to hear headmaster Uthar. Everyday our ranks swell from the Jedi outcasts and deserters. But what interests me is the Star Map. I will send the Eighth Fleet to garrison over Korriban, as well as send a messenger to collect the Star Map."

"As you wish my Lord." Uthar concluded with a bow and disconnected form the holocom.

Malak turned to the hologram of his apprentice, Darth Bandon. "And what of you Darth Bandon? Anything to report on the whereabouts of Bastila Shan?"

Bandon smirked as he held a hand to his chest and gave a courteous nod, "Master. You will be displeased to hear that the possibility of Bastila Shan surviving your attack on Revan's flagship is high. Though you will be equally pleased to know that I have a trail."

"Continue." Malak ordered as he crossed his arms.

Bandon complied, "I have received reports of Republic activity occurring here on Taris. A Republic agent who also believed in the survival of Shan was said to have been spotted looking for any escape pods or wreckage sightings from Revan's flagship. I have also been obtaining whispers from our Sith Assassins saying that they have spotted a woman matching Shan's description on Tatooine."

"Find her." Malak barked through a metallic bellow, "Follow the leads if you must. But Shan cannot be left in the hands of the Republic. She will instead – serve _me_. If you cannot capture her, then dispose of her."

"Yes Master. But there is one more thing the Assassins mentioned to me that I believe should be for your ears alone. There is another character accompanying this sighted woman, a robed figure…"

Malak arched an eyebrow, "If it is for my ears alone, then make it so. Meet me on the Leviathan after you depart Taris. We will discuss the matter further."

"As you wish." Bandon concluded, disconnecting from the holocom. It was at this point Karath approached Darth Malak and knelt before him.

"Lord Malak."

"Ah, Admiral Karath." Malak said turning to his trusted officer and tool.

"I regret my Lord, that my findings on Bastila Shan have been most disappointing."

"I care not Admiral, for I have noticed your lack of results and have thus delegated that task to my apprentice. It is disappointing Karath, but I believe your skills will be better suited to other areas."

Karath bowed his head further, "Y-yes my Lord…if I may be so bold, but may I inquire as to why you have sent the Eighth fleet to Korriban?"

Malak held his hands behind his back, "Do you not know Karath?"

"My Lord…again if I may be so bold to inquire, the Eighth Fleet is composed of a majority of our elite pilots, heavy star-fighters, veteran infantry men from the Mandalorian Wars and Dark Jedi. Would they not serve a greater purpose on the frontlines?"

"Yes Karath. But they have a long, brutal history with Revan. Consider them loyalists in a way. The Eighth Fleet is a powerful force, but what use are they if they do not follow their leader? I have purposely redirected the cause of Revan's death to the Eighth Fleet as a result of the Jedi overloading Revan's flagship, causing an explosion that killed him and the Jedi with him."

"I see…" Karath responded.

"The Eighth serve me as I am the successor to Revan, yet I have heard that many within are still doubtful of my rule, seeing Revan as the true Dark Lord. I have no place for loyalists in my Empire Admiral. If it were up to me, the Eighth Fleet would be purged. But I am hopeful that they can be redirected. The Dark Side energies of Korriban may entice their emotions, and see me as the Dark Lord that truly reigns supreme."

"Yes. Yes my Lord! I believe that to be a wise decision." Karath bowed once more, causing Malak to chuckle.

"Ah Karath, your grovelling amuses me. Stand, we have plans for the destruction of the Republic."

Karath did as he was told, yet the Admiral proned one more statement. "My Lord. I am here to also report that the Star Map on Manaan has been retrieved."

Malak gleamed brightly, his expression clear with excitement even behind his prosthetic exterior, "Then the Star Map on Korriban is the final piece I need. Finally. After all this time…I will succeed where Revan cannot. I will embrace the Dark Side fully and allow the galaxy to tremble beneath my power."

The Sith Lord turned to the holograms of Sith Admirals and officers, declaring his orders.

"Press the Republic's line! Prepare the landing invasions! This stalemate will conclude shortly."

* * *

**Tatooine, Krayt Dragon Lair**

HK-47 unloaded its personalised blaster rifle and inserted a fresh plasma cartridge as it slowly approached a slain Krayt Dragon. Upon further inspection, the creature was scorched with blaster burns, lightsaber slashes and explosive detonators. Yet what pleased HK the most was the expert shot it performed when the Krayt Dragon was about to swoop down and take Mission with it's teeth but before it could accomplish that, HK had calculated the best possible action which ensured the highest possible chance of ensuring that Master Revan's ally would survive. HK took it, shooting a charged bolt directly into the creature's eye, piercing through the soft tissue and rupturing the creature's brain – killing it instantly.

"Observation: I would say that this was a satisfactory performance, wouldn't you agree master?"

Revan panted softly as he sheathed his blades back into his lightsaber hilts and clipping them to each side of his belt. Briefly, Revan looked to the side to see Bastila staggering to her feet and Mission close beside her – laying on her side. Carefully Revan approached Bastila and provided his hand. Bastila's grey eyes peak up to the Sith Lord's hand all the way up to Revan's mask. Bastila sighed and took his hand, allowing Revan to help her stand to her feet. HK, annoyed from not receiving an answer, instead remained on lookout – ensuring that no Sand People were out to ambush them.

"Are you hurt?" Revan asked, surprisingly with sincerity in his tone – instead of a monotone drawl. It was something Bastila noticed.

"I'm fine." The Jedi answered reluctantly.

"You don't have to pretend to me. It was a difficult fight." Revan proned.

"I meant it…" Bastila said, placing a hand over her shoulder and slowly walked over to Mission and lending her a hand. Revan watched as Bastila drifted away from him, he felt as though she was resenting him in a way. Revan could've easily read her emotions through the Force, work their Force bond to his advantage and exploit every possible benefit there was to it. But out of some twisted sense of respect for Bastila, or some other-wordly Force intervening his train of thought – he refused to do such a thing.

Bastila had come to him for understanding, her request to him onboard the Ebon Hawk – 'I want to know more.' Revan thought he might have been harsh on the Jedi, that she was too blinded by Jedi teachings to realise the bigger picture. But the longer he stared at her, the more he became acquainted to her thoughts, her movements, her mannerisms – the more Revan realised that she was indeed blind to the Jedi's teachings, but like all Padawans, she was _afraid_. Afraid of what might happen if she diverted away from what she _knows_. He understood that feeling. In fact…Revan probably knew that feeling better than anyone. The fear. The uncertainty. But it was the fear. The _Fear_.

"The Map…" Revan urged as he turned back and walked past the fallen Krayt Dragon, intruding into its lair. The first thing Revan noticed was the absent smell and dry atmosphere. Beneath his boots were the crushed remains of bones and chewed clothing. The edge of his boot felt something peculiar, something hard and different from the texture of dried marrow and animal bones. The Sith Lord looked down and spotted that the edge of his boot was touching a leather satchel, belonging to the indistinguishable remains of a poor, unfortunate soul. The opening of the satchel was wide open, spilling an array of pens, notebooks and other undesirable commodities. Yet something glimmered at the edge of the satchel, which caught his attention.

"A holocron?" Revan murmured to himself, extending his arm down towards the object and using the Force to pull it up from the ground and into his grasp. The Sith Lord observed it; its appearance was quiet in nature – not appearing in any form of Jedi or Sith origin.

"Curious…" Revan said, hovering the holocron close to his face. Suddenly, Bastila's voice rang out behind the Sith Lord.

"Mission needs a bit of time to recover from a slash she took from this creature. But she should be fine. Well? Are we going to get this Star Map or not?"

Revan quickly obscured the holocron within his cape. "Yes…we should press on."

"Lot's of people perished here…" Bastila mentioned as she stepped over chewed bones and tailed the Sith Lord.

"Besides the Star Map, I do not know what else people would want here…especially the lair of a predator." Revan replied, ogling the altar at the very end of the Dragon's lair.

"Treasure hunters risk their lives for a living. I suppose if one was desperate enough, they would go looking here. Afterall, 'high risk – high reward'. Yet, some hunters are more admirable than most."

Revan peered over his shoulder as they continued to walk towards the altar, "You sound as those you have a certain hunter in mind."

Bastila shakes her head, "I do. My father to be exact."

"Your father was an adventurous man?" Revan questioned.

Bastila replied with a nod and a smile, "I would believe so. Treasure hunters need to be don't they?"

Revan hummed a chuckle, filtered by his mask. "I suppose so. And where is your father now?"

Bastila stopped. Revan continued further yet realised the absence of her footsteps, causing him to pause in his tracks and turn towards her. Bastila looked idle, reminiscing or something.

"Bastila?" Revan urged. Bastila blinked and shook her head.

"Sorry…I was lost for a moment. When I joined the Jedi Order I left my family on Talravin. I believe my family is still there, as far as I know. You would know, Jedi aren't allowed to keep connections with anyone, including family."

"Yes…I know." Revan replied.

"But my father…" Bastila continued, "Even as a child, I remembered my father clearly. He was gentle and kind to me. My mother on the other hand…"

The Jedi looked up to Revan and snickered to herself, "Sorry...you mustn't be interested."

Revan approached Bastila, "On the contrary. I am eager to learn about you."

"Huh, I don't know too many people who are even remotely interested to my past. They only get close to me knowing that I possess Battle Meditation." Bastila's eyes dart over to Revan quickly, "Forgive me…" She began in a mellow voice, "I am accustomed to keeping to myself and I am not used to sharing something so personal."

"The nature of the bond that binds us strengthens us. But if we are to make use of this bond – we may as well become more acquainted with one another." The Sith Lord replied.

Bastila could see the wisdom in his words. And there was no doubting them. With a sigh, Bastila complied.

"My mother whittled away our fortune. She continuously pushed my father out to treasure hunting. For my entire childhood I had spent most of it on ships, travelling from one lead to the next. I hated her dearly for that. Resented her even. I think she was relieved when I was given to the Jedi. But my father…I could still remember his face…was heartbroken."

Revan tilts his head slightly, "And from then on – you never saw your family again."

Bastila nods. Revan turned his attention back to the altar while Bastila followed.

"Do you love your father?" Revan asked suddenly. It took Bastila back with surprise.

"I did…but the Jedi do not encourage such emotions, and there is wisdom in this policy. While I loved my father dearly, love can only confuse and complicate the situation."

Revan shakes his head, thinking to himself – '_Naïve_.'

"You cannot guard against emotion forever Jedi. When will you learn that?" Revan stated plainly.

"I know you mentioned a similar concept to me on the ship. Do not think I am deaf. A Jedi must do what he or she must do without the prospect of emotions. A Jedi may not always be able to control the feelings of the heart, but some sacrifices are harder than others." Bastila snapped back.

Revan listened and affirmed Bastila's opinion, "Do you mean to say that you will not love again?"

Bastila chuckled, "I don't know. I've supressed my feelings for a long time now. Anger, love, sadness…"

"Happiness?" Revan emerged.

"…Happiness." Bastila replied. "It's not a life that is glamorous, nor rewarding. But a Jedi's life revolves around the necessary, to accomplish what must be done. And with that in mind – I'm willing to make those sacrifices."

"Curious…" Revan began, "You would sacrifice everything to be the perfect Jedi?"

Bastila opened her mouth to respond; yet she closed her mouth and edged a smirk. "Revan…you ask a lot of questions and I answer them in full. Yet I do not recall you returning the favour."

Revan laughed with a tone of voice different from his usual speech, again Bastila noticed this. This time, his voice held an essence of genuine glee and amusement. "Do you find me so interesting Bastila?"

Bastila returned her reply with a giggle, "I think if you asked anyone that question, all of them would say yes."

"I'm asking you." Revan quipped.

They both stop at the very foot of the altar; it's appearance much like the Rakatan design situated within the forbidden ruins on Dantooine. The altar split open, revealing the familiar crescent of energy surrounding a bright Star Map.

"Well…" Bastila continued with a lowered voice, "Needless to say, I find you… intriguing."

Revan paused momentarily, silent. Bastila could feel the blood rush to her cheeks as her eyes widen. She could feel Revan's gaze on her, knowing that he had taken her words in a different context.

"…Your command of the Force, of course. I find it intriguing. I mean…uh…" Bastila quickly stammered. "The knowledge you must have, it fascinates me to an academic level. You understand surely."

Revan nods, returning to his unreadable tone of voice. "Of course."

The Sith Lord turned his attention back towards the opened altar and watched as the glowing Star Map vibrate. Quickly, Revan recorded the Star Map's contents into his datapad while Bastila looked off the side, red in the face and her breathing accelerated. The interesting thing was…she did not know why it was occurring.

"We have what we need. Come. Let us depart off this rock." Revan said, turning to the exit. Bastila snapped back into reality and quickly caught back up to the departing Sith Lord.

"Yes…there is much to be done." Bastila murmured to herself. Her eyes stare at the back of Revan. As she looked on something peculiar emerged within her. It was something forbidden, something strange and something unnatural. She was intrigued in Revan, but not for the same reason she blurted out. There was no logical explanation. There was no physical conclusion. But Bastila felt something gnawing within her stomach, an urge that begged to leave. She was intrigued in Revan. She _is_ intrigued.

"The bond…" Bastila whispered to herself, "That's the only way to explain this."

Revan peered over his shoulder, "Did you say something?"

Bastila shook her head, "No. No."

The bond. That was the only way. She could never have developed a level of interest this quickly. It was impossible. Simply impossible. Bastila called upon every ounce of Jedi training she had learnt to hone her emotions, to calm herself. Yet ultimately they failed her. The thought of it disgusted her. The thought of _him_. The thought of _Revan_. He was liable for countless casualties in this civil war that he incited. He betrayed the Jedi Order. That was enough to resent him, and Bastila _did _resent him. But after everything that had occurred on Revan's flagship, Dantooine, the old ruins. Bastila realised that the impossible was possible.

Impulses. Hidden desires. Raw emotion.

She held them all.

She held them all…

_For him._

* * *

**10 minutes later, Anchorhead, Ebon Hawk**

"Request: Master, I implore you to refrain me from the presence of these additional meatbags."

"I'm afraid it's quite necessary HK. If we are to be efficient, we need to co-operate with one another. That means meeting more meatbags."

The droid creaked and sighed as it complied with its master's command. Mission breathed a hefty sigh. "Do we really need him to tag along?"

"Afraid so." Revan started, "I know you are not too fond of him, but HK is a droid unparalleled. He is useful, resourceful, rude as he may be – but unquestionably loyal."

Mission shakes her head, "Well, we better get on the ship and make sure he doesn't kill everyone onboard."

"Wise." Revan replied with a smile. But as Mission, HK and Bastila began to ascend the ramp to the Hawk, a voice cried out behind Revan. They turned, finding a young Twi'lek woman dashing quickly up to them. She stopped, panting just infront of Revan – trying to catch her breath.

"{Wait…}" The woman panted in her native tongue, the distinct dialect of Ryl ringing in their ears, "{I needed to see for myself.}"

Revan wondered who this woman was, then he realised that her gaze was not set upon him – but it was instead peering over his shoulder and directed to Bastila. Steadily, she brushed through Revan and approached the Jedi.

"{Excuse me...}" The Twi'lek began, "{You may not remember me. But you are Helena's girl aren't you? Bastila isn't it? Yes…I see it in your eyes. You've grown beautifully.}"

Bastila turned and descended from the Ebon Hawk's ramp, meeting the Twi'lek face to face.

"I am Bastila. I take it you know my mother?" Bastila asked.

The woman gave Bastila a sweet smile, "{Why yes, I've worked with your father on an expedition many years ago. Your mother would show me holos of you as a little girl. You were so beautiful.}"

Bastila crossed her arms, "I'm sorry, but is there something we can help you with miss? We are in a bit of a hurry."

The Twi'lek's expression turned sombre, "{Sorry…I didn't mean to take up your time. I was just wondering if your mother's condition has improved since I last saw her."

Revan's attention peaked.

"My mother's condition?" Bastila asked, her eyes widen with some hint of concern.

"{Oh...but I thought you knew. You mother said to me that she was looking for you and thought she had succeeded, seeing that you're here. Your mother is terribly ill my dear. So she told me, but she never said anything about your father nor did I see him.}"

"Typical." Bastila hissed, "Where did you meet her? Do you remember?"

"{She's in the cantina dear. Here on Tantooine. You should really go see her, considering her condition.}"

Revan turned to Mission and HK, they returned their gaze.

"Part of me doesn't want to see her at all." Bastila said in a low voice, "But. If she really is ill – then maybe…" The Jedi turned to Revan, hoping for some advice. He provided it.

"It's your mother Bastila. If you wish to see her, then do it. If not, we move on." Revan stated coldly. Bastila looked back at the Twi'lek woman and gave her a smile.

"Thank you for informing me about this." Bastila said. "I will go see her now. See what she has to say to me."

Revan turned to Mission and HK. Carefully, the Sith Lord retrieved the datapad containing the contents of the Star Map and threw it over to Mission. The Twi'lek girl caught it with one hand.

"Input the data you have on that device. The terminal will piece the Star Map automatically, then tell the others that Bastila will take a few more moments."

Revan turned to the Jedi, "When you've concluded your business here, make haste to the Hawk – there are many more Maps to discover." He said as he gradually walked up the entrance ramp. He was stopped mid-way.

"Revan." Bastila said. He turned. "I want someone with me. I haven't seen my mother in so long. I hated her. Part of me still hates her. I fear that I may do something I might regret."

She turns her head to face the Sith Lord; her eyes were tipped to the point of tears. Bastila bit her lip in her attempt to hold back these tears, "I would like someone to accompany me…I'd rather it be you."

Revan stood still, silent. He thought about it for several moments. What he was thinking about exactly is only known to himself. But Revan turned once more to Mission and spoke softly, "Tell the others that Bastila and _I _have one more matter to resolve. In the meantime, make sure HK settles in."

"What a fun job to have." Mission said sarcastically, turning to the tall droid. Revan watched as Mission and HK disappear into the Ebon Hawk before descending the entrance ramp and approached Bastila.

"The cantina is not far. Let's move." Revan commanded. Bastila nodded as her response and followed the Sith Lord. The Jedi's mind was clouded with scenarios, clouded with pain and concluded with long-forgotten memories. Bastila didn't know what to say to her mother, not after the abrupt ending to their relationship when the Jedi Order took her in. She shook her head and sighed. Bastila would simply have to think of something on the spot.

**Later**

Tatooine's cantina was much like every other. Loud, cultured and on the brink of emerging into a brawl. As the Sith Lord and Jedi entered, they were immediately greeted with beady-eyed stares from aliens and humans alike. Their eyes were settled on the lightsabers which dangled on their hips, its symbolism ringing a solidified message. Yet the rowdy customers inside gradually turned back to their drinks and frivolous conversations, minding their own business and leaving the Force-users to their own.

Revan noticed in the far corner of the cantina was a late-aged human woman with dark-hazel hair, much like Bastila's. He examined her further and logically deduced her appearance, gender and rough age to be the most likely candidate of being Bastila's mother.

"Bastila." Revan pointed out from the rowdy commotion, "Is she the one we seek?"

The Jedi followed Revan's direction and spotted the woman. Her expression lights up for the briefest moment before turning to absolute resentment.

"She is." Bastila said, quickly walking through the Sith Lord and towards the lonely woman. Revan tailed Bastila until they reached the woman's table. As they stood over the booth, the aged woman looked up to the pair and perked a question in a rude tone.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

Bastila narrowed her eyes and replied, irritated, "I am here, mother. Or don't you recognise me?"

Helena…Bastila's mother, replied crudely, "Well what do you expect when I haven't so much as had a picture of you since your departure? Do you have any idea how long I have been trying to find you?"

Revan watched as the two conversed, gradually realising where Bastila got her fiery ire.

"You knew it was impossible to speak to me after I joined the Order." Bastila replied, "But there's something more to this. In case you don't know, mother – we are on a vital mission, one that requires our time. Now why do you wish to see me? Where is father?"

Helena paused briefly, she looked down to the table before darting her eyes directly back to her daughter. "Then you haven't heard. I should have known."

Revan raised an eyebrow behind his mask. Those words did not mean well. Nor did they hold a happy result.

"Has something happened to him? Are you going to tell me or remain silent?" Bastila questioned with a harsh tone, brimmed with anger.

'_Controlled emotions_.' Revan thought to himself. It was a load of rubbish.

"Your father is dead, Bastila." Helena replied quickly and plainly, "That is part of the reason why I was searching for you."

There it was. Revan turned to look at Bastila, the Jedi's eyes beginning to well with tears – yet her overall expression fumed with rage.

"Dead?" Bastila hissed, "What happened? What did you do to him?"

Helena turned to face Revan, "Isn't this a wonderful family reunion? I am her mother and she is already hurling insults at me. Young man, you look like a Jedi. You have a lightsaber – two at that – dangling from your hips. Though I've never known a Jedi to wear such dim clothing, or a mask ontop of that."

"Mother…" Bastila sighed. Helena continued.

"Tell me…do you treat your mother this way?"

Revan shrugged, "My mother is a rather sensitive subject. I'd rather not get involved."

Bastila darted a look towards Revan. This was the first time the Sith Lord mentioned something about someone close to him. His mother. It was a sensitive topic. It was an obscure snippet of information, though it was something learned nonetheless.

"I'm sure Bastila feels the same way you do. She would prefer to be left out of it, at least until I'm as dead as her father is."

Bastila groaned at her mother's statement, "I was told you had a condition, that alone enticed me to visit you. Now are you actually sick or is this simply melodrama for my benefit?"

"Such sweet things you say." Helena sighed, pressing two fingers to her eyes and squeezing them gently, "I suppose I should explain everything first, before we start arguing again."

"You could start by telling me what you said or did that got my father killed." Bastila spat.

"What have they been teaching you at the Jedi academy for you to be so spiteful?" Helena paused, "You want me to tell you I brought your father here to his demise? You want to blame _me_ for his death?"

Bastila didn't respond, instead she kept her steely gaze wrought with rage fixated onto her mother's eyes.

"Your father loved going on his treasure hunts, leaving you with me. From then on I was always the one to blame for everything, what else is new?" Helena said softly, almost like a saddening whisper.

"Fine." Helena continued, "I brought your father here to look for Krayt Dragon pearls. He took an expedition into the Tatooine desert and he died.

"Father was an experienced treasure hunter." Bastila retorted, "How can you be so sure that –"

"Bastila do you really think I would be looking for you if he was still alive? Your father was attacked by the Krayt Dragon and one of the guides fled, leaving him to die. He saw him get killed."

Bastila went silent for a time. The rowdy atmosphere of the cantina filling the silent void between them. Soon she spoke again.

"I see." The Jedi murmured. "So what do you want from me? Credits?"

"Don't insult me." Helena replied, "I don't want credits – I want you to use your training."

The older woman narrowed her eyes and paused momentarily before continuing. "I want you to find him. I want you to bring back his holocron."

Revan perked up. It didn't take long to piece the puzzle together. The Krayt Dragon lair. The location of the Star Map. The empty satchel beneath the remains of what resembled human bones. The holocron residing within. Revan figured it out.

"Why?" Bastila began, "So you can sell it?"

Her mother looked to be on the verge of tears, "Is it too much to ask that I have something to remember your father by? Do not answer that! It has always been like this. You couldn't be bothered."

"I will look for him mother." Bastila replied. "But I will do it for my father. Not you."

"Rest assured Bastila, find your father's holocron and you won't have to worry about me either way ever again."

"That's the answer I would expect. Very well mother. I will find father's holocron." Bastila concluded, storming out of the cantina. Revan took one last look at Bastila's mother, the elder woman looked back upon Revan's visor. When she was about to speak, Revan turned and followed his companion out of the establishment.

Bastila was already waiting outside with a stern look brought about her face. "Damn it all." The Jedi exclaimed. "Krayt Dragon pearls…we need to go back to that cave, if my father is anywhere – then he will be there."

"Bastila." Revan began, "I may have already found your father's holocron."

"What?"

Revan revealed the bright blue holocron from his robes and presented it out for Bastila to see. "When we entered the Dragon's lair, I found it near human remains. I was unaware that it may have been your father and thought that this holocron held knowledge unknown to me. I was going to examine it further when we boarded the Ebon Hawk."

"Then…you mean to say…" Bastila stammered. Revan nodded before the Jedi concluded her sentence.

"Your mother was telling the truth. Your father is dead. I'm sorry."

Bastila stood silent for several moments. The tears finally breaking out from her eyes and gradually streamed down her cheeks. But Bastila did not shriek nor howl in grief. Instead, she wiped the tears away with her forearm and shook her head.

"Damn it all." Bastila cursed as she looked up to the blue sky.

"Will you give her the holocron?" Revan asked, the object still held firmly in his grasp.

"I don't know." Bastila explained. "I simply don't know."

"Your hatred. It boils within you, and I do not need the Force to feel that. Hone your breathing and clear your thoughts. Hatred is a powerful emotion, it breeds anger and instills fear. Once anger is brought to fruition, hatred will replace all logic and reason."

Bastila closed her eyes and followed as advised. She honed her breathing, cleared her thoughts and remembered her training. _ No emotion. Peace. No ignorance. Knowledge. No passion. Serenity. No chaos. Harmony. No death. Only the Force._

She felt cleansed and took a deep sigh of both relief and surprise. "And here I thought you encouraged me to succumb to my emotions." Bastila said to Revan with a sly smirk.

Revan shook his head, not able to see the humour in her words. "Not this one. Hatred can be a powerful tool if honed correctly. But for you, your hatred for your mother was too great to control if it was left unchecked. I once held that deep level of hatred, it made me powerful, but at a cost of something great. It simply isn't worth it."

Bastila's smile disappeared after those words were uttered. Her eyes look down to his hand and stared at the holocron.

"I think we should return to my mother." The Jedi said, calmer this time. Revan nodded, allowing Bastila to enter the cantina first and followed her closely. The pair wave through the rowdy customers and approach Helena's desk, where she was still sitting – unmoved.

"It hasn't even been three minutes and you return already." The woman spat shrewdly.

"We have the holocron." Bastila groaned, "We were fortunate to have picked it up while we had other pressing matters to attend to on this planet. But I'm just not sure whether I want to give it to you or not."

"You would deny me even that. Why?"

"I've never denied you." Bastila answered, "I remember life before the Order. You may think I don't, but I do. You were the one who pushed father off to one treasure hunt to another. You loved living in wealth. You truly believe I don't remember the arguments? The fights?"

"Bastila!" Helena shouted, yet the Jedi continued.

"You were the one who was eager to send me away to the Jedi, even when I didn't want to go!"

For a moment, Bastila held back a gasp of grief, biting back her tears from flowing from her cheeks once more. "You took father from me…and now this holocron is all that I have left of him."

"Foolish child." Helena spat, "You have a funny way of remembering things. That was not how-"

"Enough mother." Bastila interrupted, "I don't want to argue anymore. For both our sakes we should part ways. Immediately."

Revan held out a hand towards Bastila, holding her from turning the other direction and leaving the cantina in a rushed fit. The Sith Lord approached the Jedi and whispered beneath his breath, only enough for Bastila alone to hear.

"Are you certain you wish to keep this holocron?" Revan asked solemnly.

Bastila eyed the holocron lingering within the Sith Lord's robes, the blue lighting illuminating vibrantly behind his cape. She furrowed her brow, '_Yes_.' Bastila wanted to say, her mind clouded by frustration and remembered hatred for her mother. '_Yes! As long as she doesn't have it! The one who took him away!'_

But what was she thinking? She closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts. This was no way to act, this was still her mother.

"No." Bastila answered, "I mean…perhaps not. I remember my father well enough. But why should she have it?" That final sentence reeked of venom in her tone.

Helena replied for Revan, "I am a dying woman. Is it so hard to believe that? Is it so hard for you to believe that I simply wish to see my husband one last time?"

"I find it difficult to believe anything that comes out of your mouth quite frankly."

"Enough of this." Revan ordered, placing the holocron on the desk. "This feud has gone on too long. Perhaps it is time for both of you to find common ground. Find it in yourselves to forgive one another perhaps? But the longer you two bicker, then the more time you waste – and that accomplishes nothing."

Bastila and her mother stared at Revan in silence before looking at one another. Bastila breathed a deep sigh before shaking her head.

"You're right. Forgive me but I find it very difficult to let go of the…past. I'm sorry mother. For everything."

"I'm sorry too." Helena began, softly, like an endearing mother that Bastila always wished she had. "I was hard on you my dear. Perhaps too hard. Hardly the quality of a good mother – I'm not blind to that. Your father loved you too, dearly. He wanted you to be like him, take you on his adventures but I disagreed, I thought they were too dangerous."

"Mother…" Revan could hear Bastila whisper underneath her breath.

"I always begged your father to keep away from the dangerous ones, but he wouldn't listen. It was a reckless life we lived. I never wanted that for you. That's why you were sent off to the Jedi. What has hunting for treasure and risking our lives come to? Nothing. That was no place for a child like you, especially one of your gifts."

Helena took a moment to swallow back a whimper before continuing, "Your father spent his last years paying for my treatments. That's what enticed him to search for the pearls. I begged and pleaded for him not to go…alas, he never was a good listener."

"Your treatments." Bastila exclaimed, her eyes widening. Her mother shook her head and gave her a saddened smile.

"I never lied child. I _am _dying. There is nothing else that could be done, so I'm told. It is in its critical stages."

Revan watched as Bastila bit back from crying. Yet within him, the Sith Lord could feel the pain of heartache emerging within the Jedi and felt it as if it was his own. There are many strengths to a Force bond; there are many liabilities as well. Yet it was undeniable, the Force bond they possessed was intertwined at a level to where their fates and ultimately their destinies collided. It was to the point where he could feel what she felt, a disturbance in the Force occurring whenever something felt wrong to Bastila could be detected by Revan at a whim. It was appalling to see how their bond grew and developed in such a short amount of time. Relationships at this extent usually occurred between Master and Apprentice and tempered over years, if not decades. This was different. _They _were different.

"Keep the holocron Bastila. It would serve you better than it would me. Besides, it would make me feel better knowing that you have it. To be perfectly honest with you, this was why I wanted us to meet. Not because of that silly object – but to see you…talk to you, before I-"

"I understand, mother." Bastila whimpered quietly. "I'm glad we talked too."

"I shan't keep you away from your vital quest any longer." Helena said with a departing voice.

"Wait." Bastila said, approaching her mother and reaching behind her robes and taking out a platinum chip.

"There is more than five hundred credits attributed on this chip. Go to Coruscant, buy yourself the best doctor."

"But Bastila. I told you, there is nothing that could be do-"

"Take it." Bastila urged, pushing the chip into her mother's frail hands and clasping her fingers closed. "When we are done…when I've done what I have to do. I will meet you there. I want to see you again, please. We must talk more. We must." Her voice was broken, her heart was in the same condition. Helena closed her eyes and held her arms out to embrace Bastila…no…her daughter. The Jedi closed her eyes and embraced what she called family once more. The family she urged to see. Revan on the other hand wondered where on Earth she posessed such an object and how long she had planned to keep it a secret from him.

"Very well Bastila." Helena said to her daughter, grasping her robes and clenching onto them tightly. Tears now streamed from the mother's face as she let her child go. "Now you go do what you have to dear. And one more thing…go make your father and I proud."

"I will." Bastila said shakingly, "Farewell mother." She turned to Revan and signalled their departure. The Sith Lord nodded, but stayed behind momentarily as he watched Bastila push through the cantina's drunk and excited customers.

"You don't look like any Jedi I've ever seen." Helena mentioned curiously, "You stand silent, brooding and have a certain aura about you. It's quite distinct from the rest."

Revan smiled behind his mask, "I am not a Jedi." The Sith Lord said with a slight nod of his head.

"…I see." Helena said. "Jedi or not, will you do an old woman one last courtesy?"

Revan stood silent, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"You will look after my daughter, you hear me? You look the strong, able-bodied sort. Please…make sure no harm comes to her."

Revan nodded. A mother's last wish…the well-being of her child. "I'll do my best. That's a promise." The Sith Lord replied, looking towards Bastila who was nearing the exit of the cantina.

"Good…good." Helena said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'll feel a lot better knowing that someone is watching over her. Now go catch up to her before you lose her."

Revan chuckled and departed, eventually leaving the cantina with Bastila who was still reeling from what she had just experienced. The sands of Tantooine brush through their clothing, its twin suns exposed upon them vibrantly.

"Thank you." Bastila said to Revan as they made their way back to the Ebon Hawk.

"You needn't thank me." He replied cordially.

"But I'm doing it anyway, without you I don't think I could've found peace with my mother. If Carth had gone with me, it may intensify the situation. Mission – she would've been too young. Juhani, Zaalbar or by the stars Canderous, it never would've been borne out the same way. I shiver at the thought of me going in alone, now that would've ended badly."

Revan nodded, "If that's the case. Then you are welcome. Now, are you prepared to leave this rock?"

Bastila smiled, "I am. Malak won't stop himself."

The Ebon Hawk's entrance ramp had already descended as the two approached, with Carth standing at the very entrance shouting towards the pair.

"Hey! Come on already! This crazy seven-foot tall droid you brought onboard is threatening to melt this entire ship down if he doesn't see his 'master'!"

"I see they've succeeded in keeping HK in check." Bastila giggled.

Revan smirked, "That sounds like HK. Well, we better not tally – elsewise the threat may be brought to realisation."

There were many who believed the Force operated on its own accord. Some believe that the Force predetermined the very destinies of those living in the universe. But it was clear – the destinies of both the Dark Lord of the Sith and the gifted Jedi Padawan alongside him proved to be joined in unison. And it all began with one peculiar emergence within Revan.

_Hope_.

* * *

**AN: Hoping to kick the next chapter off with some serious RevanxBastila moments. Hopefully.**


End file.
